Background: Despite an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma, severe asthma sufferers continue to experience a poor quality of life (QOL). Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) utilizes thermal energy to reduce airway smooth muscle. In industry-sponsored trials, BT improves QOL and reduces severe exacerbations; however, the impact of BT on asthma-related QOL and medication use in non-industry-sponsored trials is less clear.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of BT on asthma QOL measures (mini-AQLQ) and asthma controller medication use during the year following treatment with BT.
Methods: We performed a prospective study of the impact of BT in 25 patients with severe persistent asthma. Our primary outcome was change in asthma-related QOL score (mini-AQLQ) 1 year after BT treatment. Our secondary outcome was change in asthma medication use 1 year after BT.
Results: BT led to an improvement in mini-AQLQ score from a baseline of 3.6 ± 0.3 before therapy to 5.6 ± 0.3 1 year after the final BT procedure. Overall, 88% percent of patients showed a clinically significant improvement in mini-AQLQ at 1 year. Patients treated with BT showed a reduction in the use of montelukast and omalizumab 1 year after BT.
Conclusion: In patients with severe persistent asthma and low asthma-related QOL scores, BT leads to an improvement in asthma-related QOL and a decrease in asthma medication use when measured 1 year after the final BT treatment.
Keywords: Asthma; Asthma-related quality of life; Bronchial thermoplasty.
© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.