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Key pointsAsthma in the elderly can be difficult to identify due to modifications of its clinical features and functional characteristics.Several comorbidities are associated with asthma in the elderly, and this association differs from that observed in younger patients.In clinical practice, physicians should treat comorbidities that are correlated with asthma (i.e. rhinitis or gastro-oesophageal reflux), assess comorbidities that may influence asthma outcomes (i.e. depression or cognitive impairment) and try to prevent comorbidities related to ­‘drug-associated side-effects (i.e. cataracts, arrhythmias or osteoporosis).“Geriatric asthma” should be the preferred term because it implies the comprehensive and multidimensional approach to the disease in the older populations, whereas “asthma in the elderly” is only descriptive of the occurrence of the disease in this age range.Educational aimsTo present critical issues in performing differential diagnosis of asthma in the elderly.To offer the instrument to implement the management of asthma in the most advanced ages.Asthma is a chronic airway disease that affects all ages, but does this definition also include the elderly? Traditionally, asthma has been considered a disease of younger age, but epidemiological studies and clinical experience support the concept that asthma is as prevalent in older age as it is in the young. With the ever-increasing elderly population worldwide, the detection and proper management of the disease in old age may have a great impact from the public health perspective. Whether asthma in the elderly maintains the same characteristics as in young populations is an interesting matter. The diagnostic process in older individuals with suspected asthma follows the same steps, namely a detailed history supported by clinical examination and laboratory investigations; however, it should be recognised that elderly patients may partially lose reversibility of airway obstruction. The correct interpretation of spirometric curves in the elderly should take into account the physiological changes in the respiratory system. Several factors contribute to delaying the diagnosis of asthma in the elderly, including the age-related impairment in perception of breathlessness. The management of asthma in advanced age is complicated by the comorbidities and polypharmacotherapy, which advocate for a comprehensive approach with a multidimensional assessment. It should be emphasised that older age frequently represents an exclusion criterion for eligibility in clinical trials, and current asthma medications have rarely been tested in elderly asthmatics. Ageing is associated with pharmacokinetic changes of the medications. As a consequence, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of antiasthmatic medications can be variably affected. Similarly, drug-to-drug interactions may reduce the effectiveness of inhaled medications and increase the risk of side-effects. For this reason, we propose the term “geriatric asthma” be preferred to the more generic “asthma i...

Background Benralizumab can be utilized as add-on biological treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. However, so far only a few real-life studies have been published with regard to the use of this anti-IL-5 receptor humanized monoclonal antibody. Objective The primary aim of this multicenter observational investigation has been to assess the therapeutic effects of benralizumab in patients with severe uncontrolled, corticosteroid refractory eosinophilic asthma. The secondary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of benralizumab with regard to positive or negative skin prick test (SPT). Methods Clinical, functional, and laboratory parameters were evaluated in order to verify the therapeutic actions of benralizumab in atopic and non atopic subjects with difficult-to-treat eosinophilic asthma. Moreover, a comparative evaluation was carried out in relation to the presence or absence of SPT positivity. Results After 6 months of add-on biological therapy with benralizumab, our 111 patients experienced a marked improvement of their severe eosinophilic asthma, expressed by significant changes in asthma exacerbation rate, prednisone intake, daily use of short-acting β 2 -adrenergic agonists (SABA), asthma control test (ACT) score, asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) score (56 patients), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), blood eosinophil count, blood basophil count (59 patients), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels (39 patients). In addition, significantly more effective outcomes were detected in patients with positive SPT, when compared to subjects with negative SPT, only in regard to asthma exacerbation number, ACT score, and daily SABA utilization. No significant correlation was found between serum IgE concentrations and each of all measured parameters. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Taken together, the results of this real-world study indicate that in both allergic and non-allergic subjects benralizumab can be used as a valuable pharmacotherapeutic option for add-on biological therapy of severe eosinophilic asthma, regardless of SPT positivity or negativity.

The mainstay of management in asthma is inhalation therapy at the target site, with direct delivery of the aerosolized drug into the airways to treat inflammation and relieve obstruction. Abundant evidence is available to support the concept that inflammatory and functional changes at the level of the most peripheral airways strongly contribute to the complexity and heterogeneous manifestations of asthma. It is now largely accepted that there is a wide range of clinical phenotypes of the disease, characterized primarily by small airways involvement. Thus, an appropriate diagnostic algorithm cannot exclude biological and functional assessment of the peripheral airways. Similarly, achievement of optimal control of the disease and appropriate management of specific phenotypes of asthma should be based on drugs (and delivery options) able to distribute uniformly along the bronchial tree and to reach the most peripheral airways. Products developed with the Modulite® technology platform have been demonstrated to meet these aims. Recent real-life studies have shown clearly that extra-fine fixed-combination inhaled therapy provides better asthma control than non-extra-fine formulations, thus translating the activity of the drugs into greater effectiveness in clinical practice. We suggest that in patients with incomplete asthma control despite good lung function, involvement of the peripheral airways should always be suspected. When this is the case, treatments targeting both the large and small airways should be used to improve asthma control. Above all, it is emphasized that patient adherence with prescribed medications can contribute to clinical success, and clinicians should always be aware of the role played by patients themselves in determining the success or failure of treatment.

a b s t r a c tInhalation is the preferred route of drug administration in chronic respiratory diseases because it optimises delivery of the active compounds to the targeted site and minimises side effects from systemic distribution. The choice of a device should be made after careful evaluation of the patient's clinical condition (degree of airway obstruction, comorbidities), as well as their ability to coordinate the inhalation manoeuvre and to generate sufficient inspiratory flow. These patient factors must be aligned with the specific advantages and limitations of each inhaler when making this important choice. Finally, adherence to treatment is not the responsibility of the patient alone, but should be shared also by clinicians. Clinicians have access to a wide selection of pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) and dry powder inhalers (DPIs) that can be used effectively when matched to the needs of individual patients; this should be perceived as an opportunity rather than a limitation.