Perceived 10-year change in respiratory health: reliability and predictive ability

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Epidemiology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Long-term asthma trajectories are complex and difficult to track.
• Understanding patient perception of health changes is crucial for managing chronic conditions.
• Validated tools are needed to assess long-term respiratory health changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of a 10-year self-reported respiratory health transition question.
• To assess its reliability, ability to capture asthma trajectory, and predictive power.
• To correlate perceived changes with objective clinical data and future asthma outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of two large, long-term cohorts (Asthma-E3N and EGEA).
• Inclusion of participants aged 27-88 years with 20-year follow-up data.
• Correlation of self-reported respiratory health changes with medication use, lung function, asthma status, and subsequent asthma-related events.

Main Results:

• Perceived respiratory health deterioration was linked to increased respiratory medication use and steeper lung function decline.
• Asthma patients, particularly those with persistent asthma, were more likely to perceive health changes.
• Self-reported deterioration predicted poorer asthma control and higher oral corticosteroid use years later.

Conclusions:

• A simple, self-reported 10-year respiratory health transition question effectively predicts aspects of long-term asthma trajectory.
• This question serves as a valuable tool for assessing perceived changes in respiratory health and its impact on asthma.
• The findings support the use of patient-reported outcomes in longitudinal asthma research and management.