Health and Medicine Media

Impaired quality of life, impact on daily life, persistent symptoms … all these criteria are not always sufficiently taken into account in the treatment of asthma. The results of new studies argue for a better evaluation of the care of patients.

There is an increased incidence of asthma by 10% over the last twenty years. In 2001, asthma affected more than 100 million people worldwide. In France, the incidence and severity of the disease are rising steadily since 1960. According to the survey Health and Welfare 1998 (ESPS 98), nearly 3.5 million French are concerned, and 5 million French have had asthma at some time or another in their life. Asthma is a chronic disease of children the most common, with 6-10% of school children affected. It is also the leading cause of school absenteeism.

Between 1979 and 1995 and despite the availability of effective treatments, deaths increased by 30%.
How to assess asthma control?

The main therapeutic goal is the control of symptoms. But conventional DMARDs are sometimes inadequate. Monitoring the effectiveness of treatment can be done by simply measuring periodic FEV (forced expiratory volume in one second) but must incorporate the impact of disease on quality of life. This recent concept should improve the overall care. Various studies have shown that there is no linear relationship between the measurement of FEV and quality life.1. The perception of good asthma control is very discordant between patient and doctor, the first tends to minimize symptoms by frequently “used disability” (study ASHAIR).

Today through appropriate questionnaires professionals have more tools to assess overall as the percentage of days on which asthma has been well controlled or AQLQ for “Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. In thirty issues, activity, symptoms, well-being and the patient environment are evaluated. Presented at the MEDEC 2003, the preliminary results of a survey on the perception of this new approach (survey ASTEQ2 for Asthma and Quality of Life) show an interest from the patient but also the physician for consideration quality of life.