Prevalence, Treatment Trajectories, and Environmental Exacerbation Factors in Asthma: A Regional Study in Andalusia

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition whose prevalence varies across different regions and populations. In Andalusia, detailed data on the characteristics of asthma patients are lacking, thus limiting effective clinical management and health care planning. Objective: Our objective was to characterize patients diagnosed with asthma in Andalusia.

To our knowledge, this study comprises the largest cohort of asthma patients in Spain. We characterized 726 006 asthma patients based on prevalence, exacerbations, comorbidities, and pharmacological treatment. We covered the whole population, with subanalyses comparing rural-urban settings and coastal-inland regions.

The overall prevalence of asthma in Andalusia was 8.57%. The disease was more prevalent in females, although it was more common in males until the age of 15 years. The most frequent comorbidities were arthrosis and spondylosis. Almost three-quarters (70.73%) of newly diagnosed asthma patients received treatment, the most common being SABAs (31.56%), LTRAs (16.13%), and systemic corticosteroids (13.94%). After initial treatment, 35.15% of patients did not receive follow-up care. Treatment was stepped up in 28.68%, stepped down in 20.75%, and switched in 15.43%.

Our results provide a detailed characterization of the Andalusian population in terms of prevalence, comorbidities, and treatment trajectories and proved consistent with findings from other Spanish regions. We also observed geographical discrepancies in asthma prevalence when comparing rural-urban settings and coastal-inland regions.