Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025

Assessment of Respiratory Function in Conscious Mice by Double-chamber Plethysmography
Published on: July 10, 2018
Residual Dyspnea May Predict Small Airways Dysfunction and Poor Responsiveness to Single-Inhaler Triple Therapy in
Keima Ito1, Tomoko Tajiri1, Hirono Nishiyama1
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Purpose:
Recently, single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT) has demonstrated efficacy in patients with uncontrolled asthma who were symptomatic despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2 agonists. However, the characteristics of patients who benefit from SITT remain unclear in the real-world. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of responsiveness to SITT in patients with asthma.
Patients And Methods:
A total of 45 patients with asthma who had regularly visited our respiratory clinic and were started on SITT from March 2019 to March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients' demographic characteristics, residual respiratory symptoms, type 2 biomarkers, and lung function before SITT were assessed from the patients' medical records. Predictors of responsiveness to four-week SITT were evaluated in these patients. The definition of responders was based on the physician-assessed global evaluation of treatment effectiveness.
Results:
Thirty-four (75%) of 45 patients were identified as responders to SITT. Non-responders showed significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC) (%predicted) values, and complained of dyspnea more frequently than responders before SITT (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics and type 2 biomarkers between responders and non-responders. Clinical predictors of poor response to SITT were residual dyspnea (OR = 0.14, p = 0.02), low FVC (%predicted) values (OR = 1.05, p = 0.01), and FVC (%predicted) <80% (OR = 0.11, p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that poor response to SITT was associated with residual dyspnea before SITT (OR = 0.14, p = 0.02). On the other hand, patients with residual dyspnea had significantly lower FEF25-75 (%predicted) values than patients without residual dyspnea before SITT (p = 0.04).
Conclusion:
Residual dyspnea, reflecting small airways dysfunction, may predict poor responsiveness to short-term SITT in patients with asthma.
Related Concept Videos
Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
Drugs Used in Lower Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Bronchodilators, the first step of respiration enhancement, come in various forms, each with its own mechanism...
Inhaled Medications
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
Antiasthma Drugs: β2-Adrenoceptor Agonists
One class of bronchodilators includes β2-adrenoceptor agonists. These agents target the β2-adrenoceptors located on bronchial smooth muscle cells. By stimulating these receptors, β2-agonists induce...
Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:

