An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report: Evaluation and Management of Asthma in the Elderly.

Asthma in the elderly (>65 yr old) is common and associated with higher morbidity and mortality than asthma in younger patients. The poor outcomes in this group are due, in part, to underdiagnosis and undertreatment. There are a variety of factors related to aging itself that affect the presentation of asthma in the elderly and influence diagnosis and management. Structural changes in the aging lung superimposed on structural changes due to asthma itself can worsen the disease and physiologic function. Changes in the aging immune system influence the cellular composition and function in asthmatic airways. These processes and differences from younger individuals with asthma are not well u…

Dupilimab Efficacy in Patients with Uncontrolled, Moderate-to-Severe Asthma by Body Mass Index

Introduction: Obesity is associated with increased asthma severity, poor asthma control, and poor response to inhaled corticosteroids. Dupilumab (DPL), a fully human monoclonal antibody blocks the shared receptor component for interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13, key drivers of type 2 inflammation. In the phase 3 QUEST trial (NCT02414854), add-on DPL 200/300 mg every 2 wks (q2w) vs placebo (PBO) reduced severe exacerbations and improved pre-bronchodilator (BD) FEV1 in patients (pts) with uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe asthma. Aim: To assess the effect of baseline (BL) body mass index (BMI) on DPL efficacy in uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe asthma pts. Methods: Annualized rate of severe exacerbation…

Tiotropium reduces airflow obstruction in asthma patients, independent of body mass index