Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire predicts short- and long-term exacerbation occurrence across asthma...

The Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire (AIRQ) predicts 12-month exacerbation occurrence for patients aged 12 years and older.

To assess the short- and long-term exacerbation prediction ability of the AIRQ in patients with mild-to-moderate and severe asthma.

This post hoc analysis from the AIRQ longitudinal study classified patients with asthma aged 12 years and older as having mild-to-moderate or severe disease based on prescribed pharmacotherapy. Participant-reported severe asthma exacerbations were assessed monthly for 12 months. For both severity groups and relative to baseline AIRQ control category, exacerbation occurrence was assessed via logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier time-to-first event analyses for the overall 12-month period, months 0 to 3 (short term), and months 4 to 12 (long term) post-enrollment.

Of 1070 patients who completed 1 or more follow-up assessment, 374 (35.0%) had mild-to-moderate asthma and 696 (65.0%) had severe asthma. Over the 12-month follow-up, 134 patients (35.8%) with mild-to-moderate disease vs 355 patients (51.0%) with severe disease experienced 1 or more exacerbation (P < .001). In months 0 to 3 and months 4 to 12, the proportion of patients experiencing 1 or more exacerbation was lower in those with mild-to-moderate than severe asthma (76 [21.0%] vs 201 [29.8%], P = .002; 93 [26.1%] vs 283 [41.4%], P < .001, respectively). For both severity groups, in the 12-month follow-up, months 0 to 3, and months 4 to 12, baseline AIRQ control category predicted exacerbation occurrence and time-to-first exacerbation (P < .001 for all).

The AIRQ predicts short- and long-term exacerbation occurrence in patients with mild-to-moderate and severe asthma. Understanding how current asthma control relates to exacerbation risk could facilitate point-of-care shared decision-making on management optimization.