Individual approach to treatment will save asthmatics money
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease, it is one of the worst manifestations of allergies. In the world there are from 4 to 10% of people suffering from respiratory disease.
According to a new study, millions of people who use corticosteroids every day with mild asthma do not experience any improvement. Their indicators remain at the same level as people who use the drug only when symptoms occur.
These data will allow the development of new treatments that will in turn change international standards of care and reduce patient costs, as well as provide a more flexible approach to the use of medicines. This opinion was expressed by scientists from the medical department of the University of Texas.
"The fact that these two treatments have no significant differences can ultimately fundamentally change the vision of treating physicians and patients," said lead author Dr. William Calhoun, a professor and researcher in internal medicine research. - Our results are based on considerable experience of previous researches in this field. And just in time, because bronchial asthma enslaves people at an alarming rate, especially in the underdeveloped countries. "
In the United States, the number of people suffering from bronchial asthma is about 25 million people. Medical expenses are spent approximately $ 3,300 per person. In addition to expensive treatment, a patient with asthma is disturbed by the normal rhythm of his social life - missed school and hospital at work. Approximately 40% of deaths from asthma occur at the age of over 45 years.
There is an opinion that asthma should be treated permanently, regardless of the manifestations of the disease. But the study proved the opposite.
Participation in the experiment of scientists took 340 people with mild and moderate persistent asthma. The aim of the study was to analyze three different strategies for long-term treatment of this disease.
The first strategy assumed constant control over the level of expired nitric oxide, according to the second method, patients took medications only in case of symptoms of the disease, and the third strategy required medical treatment according to the prescription of the doctor (the doctor based on the patient's words determines how many medicines he will take).
It turned out that each of the methods gives approximately the same results. The scientists concluded that an individual approach to the treatment of each patient will allow asthmatic patients to save a lot of money that goes for asthma medications.
"We hope that our discoveries will encourage patients to communicate more often with their doctors and become more active participants in developing their own treatment strategies," said lead author of the study, Professor William Calhoun.
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