Susceptibility to exacerbations in Black adults with asthma

Objective: Exacerbations account for much of the morbidity in asthma. In a large intervention study, we sought to test the hypothesis that a Black adult exacerbation-prone phenotype - a group of Black people with asthma who are at high risk of repeat exacerbation within one year - exists in asthma independent of clinical control.

Methods: We analyzed exacerbation risk factors in 536 self-identified Black Americans with asthma eligible for, or on, Step 3 National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) therapy who participated in a randomized 6-18 month trial of tiotropium versus long acting beta agonist as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids. Exacerbations were defined as events treated by oral or systemic corticosteroids. Clinical control was assessed by a validated asthma control questionnaire (ACQ5).

Results: Exacerbations became more likely with loss of clinical control. The mean baseline ACQs for exacerbators and non-exacerbators were 2.41 and 1.91, respectively (p < 0.001). The strongest independent factor associated with exacerbations across all ACQ levels was an exacerbation in the preceding year (adjusted OR 3.26; p < 0.001). The severity of prior exacerbations did not correlate with the likelihood of a future exacerbation. Lower baseline FEV1/FVC was also associated with increased risk of exacerbations.

Conclusions: Even though exacerbations increase with loss of clinical control, an exacerbation susceptibility phenotype exists in Black adults with asthma, independent of clinical control. This phenotype requires precision therapeutic targeting.