Clinical Characterization and Predictors of IOS-Defined Small-Airway Dysfunction in Asthma

The involvement of small airways has recently gained greater recognition in asthma. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a simple and noninvasive method based on the forced oscillation technique, for the detection of small-airway dysfunction (SAD).

To identify the predictors of SAD in an unselected sample of 400 patients with physician-diagnosed asthma.

All patients underwent standard spirometry and IOS at the first visit, and were stratified by the presence of SAD defined by IOS (fall in resistance from 5 to 20 Hz [R5-R20] > 0.07 kPa × s × L^-1). Univariable and multivariable analyses and classification tree method were used to analyze cross-sectional relationships between clinical variables and outcome (SAD).

SAD was present in 62% of the cohort. Subjects with SAD showed a less well-controlled asthma, according to the Global Initiative for Asthma definition, and a higher mean inhaled corticosteroid dosage use compared with subjects without SAD (both P < .001). Increased fractional exhaled nitric oxide (odds ratio [OR], 2.05; 95% CI, 1.14-3.70), female sex (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.29-4.06), smoking (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.60-6.05), older age (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.77-5.49), asthma-related night awakenings (OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.85-6.17), overweight (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.99-6.85), and exercise-induced asthma symptoms (OR, 6.39; 95% CI 3.65-11.45) were independent predictors of SAD. Classification tree analysis confirmed that exercise-induced asthma, overweight, asthma-related night awakenings, smoking, and older age have potential for clinical use in distinguishing patients with SAD from those without it.

We identified predictors of SAD and showed that especially exercise-induced asthma, overweight, asthma-related night awakenings, smoking, and older age were strongly associated with SAD.