[Asthma-COPD-Overlap - diagnostic and therapeutic management]

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO) is a complex condition with overlapping symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• The lack of a standardized definition for ACO leads to significant variability in reported prevalence and diagnostic approaches.
• ACO is underrepresented in clinical trials, resulting in limited evidence-based treatment guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges posed by the ambiguous definition and clinical management of Asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO).
• To highlight the need for differentiating between asthma and COPD as the predominant condition in patients with overlapping features.
• To emphasize current therapeutic strategies focusing on the dominant obstructive airway disease phenotype.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and clinical guidelines regarding Asthma-COPD Overlap.
• Analysis of the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas associated with ACO.
• Evaluation of current clinical practice in managing patients with overlapping asthma and COPD characteristics.

Main Results:

• Prevalence data for ACO is inconsistent due to the absence of a uniform definition.
• There is a lack of specific diagnostic algorithms and clear treatment recommendations for ACO.
• Clinical management currently relies on identifying the primary obstructive airway disease (asthma or COPD) and addressing its predominant phenotype.

Conclusions:

• Asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO) remains a controversial and ill-defined clinical entity.
• Effective management of ACO requires careful differentiation between asthma and COPD based on predominant clinical features.
• Current therapeutic strategies should focus on treating the leading obstructive airway disease to optimize patient outcomes.