Top 5 Most-Read Asthma Content of 2023

The top 5 most-read asthma articles on AJMC.com this year included the impact of environmental factors, neighborhood determinants, the effect of dupilumab, and a potential risk factor for asthma in offspring. These articles highlighted the importance of examining asthma not just from a clinical perspective, but also in terms of external factors within an asthmatic population.

5. Asthma Morbidity, Mortality Linked to Extreme Weather Events, Study Finds

A study examined the impact of various extreme weather events, such as floods, hurricanes, heatwaves, and thunderstorms, on asthma-related outcomes including hospital admission, emergency department visits, outpatient visits, asthma mortality, asthma symptoms, and asthma diagnoses. The findings highlight the urgent need to address climate change as a critical concern for managing and controlling asthma, the most common chronic lung disease in children and adolescents.

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4. Moving Away From Distressed Neighborhoods Improves Asthma Exacerbations in Children Living in Baltimore, Study Finds

A program assisting children with asthma and their families to move into low-poverty neighborhoods significantly improved asthma symptoms and exacerbations, according to one study. The study indicated that reducing housing discrimination can lead to lower childhood asthma morbidity and the improvements in neighborhood stressors, such as feeling safer and better social cohesion, which played a crucial role in the observed health improvements.

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3. Dupilumab Cuts COPD Exacerbations by 30% in Phase 3 Trial

A phase 3 trial of the biologic drug dupilumab in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demonstrated a 30% reduction in moderate or severe acute COPD exacerbations compared with a placebo. The study, known as BOREAS, included 939 adults, and showed that dupilumab, which blocks the interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 pathways, improved patient-reported quality of life and reduced the severity of respiratory symptoms in COPD.

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2. Tuberculosis Potential Risk Factor for Asthma in Offspring

A study suggests a potential link between parental tuberculosis (TB) and respiratory symptoms, including asthma, in their offspring. The study, based on data from the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study, found that a history of TB in both parents was associated with a higher rate of asthma and respiratory symptoms in their children compared with those without parental TB. The researchers hypothesized that the immunological impact of TB on parents may lead to epigenetic modifications in germline cells, influencing the respiratory health of their offspring.

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1. Among Medicare Patients With Chronic Asthma, 340B Not Eliminating Disparities

A report raised doubts about the effectiveness of the 340B program in narrowing health disparities among Medicare patients with chronic asthma. The 340B program provides discounts on outpatient drugs to qualifying safety-net providers. The study found that disparities in drug treatment and health outcomes were more likely to occur at 340B hospital systems, indicating that the program's discounts may not be significantly curbing disparities among demographic groups.

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