The goal of asthma therapy is to achieve an optimal level of disease control and health related quality of life (HRQoL).In an Italian study, 122 asthma patients completed the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Rhinitis Symptoms score (T5SS).
Asthma control was unsatisfactory in 44% of patients.
Irrespective of their level of control, patients with rhinitis symptoms showed worse HRQoL.
The study authors concluded that asthma control in real life is unsatisfactory. Rhinitis and asthma influence each other in terms of control and HRQoL. The control of rhinitis in asthma patients can lead to an optimization of HRQoL, while this phenomenon is not so evident in asthma.
The ARIA recommends that all asthma patients must be evaluated for rhinitis and vice versa.
References:
Does asthma control correlate with quality of life related to upper and lower airways? A real life study. Braido F, Baiardini I, Balestracci S, Ghiglione V, Stagi E, Ridolo E, Nathan R, Canonica GW. Allergy. 2009 Feb 20.
Poor asthma control? – then look up the nose. The importance of co-morbid rhinitis in patients with asthma http://goo.gl/0nNZg
Image source: Illustration for "Aquiline or Roman Nose", Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.
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