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Patterns of response to bronchodilators in asthma
British Journal of Diseases of the Chest
|April 1, 1978
Summary
Asthma patients show variable responses to bronchodilators like isoprenaline, even with consistent dosing. This highlights an irreversible component in airway narrowing in asthma, impacting treatment effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Asthma management relies on bronchodilator efficacy.
- Individual variability in bronchodilator response is a known challenge.
- Understanding response patterns is crucial for effective asthma treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate individual variability in spirometric responses to isoprenaline in asthmatic patients.
- To explore the relationship between baseline FEV1 and bronchodilator response.
- To identify factors influencing bronchodilator responsiveness in asthma.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight asthmatic subjects inhaled a constant dose of isoprenaline aerosol on multiple occasions.
- Spirometry was used to measure airway caliber changes.
- Individual response patterns were analyzed in relation to pre-treatment FEV1.
Main Results:
- Significant inter-individual variability in spirometric responses was observed, despite consistent isoprenaline dosing.
- Bronchodilator response showed inconsistent correlation with pre-treatment FEV1, with some subjects responding even with higher than predicted FEV1.
- Most subjects did not achieve their predicted FEV1 even with maximal bronchodilator doses.
Conclusions:
- Individual response patterns to bronchodilators in asthma are highly variable.
- A significant, potentially irreversible, component of airway narrowing exists in asthma.
- Studying individual response patterns is valuable for selecting subjects in clinical trials for bronchodilator drugs.