High hospital burden in overlap syndrome of asthma and COPD

Abstract

Background:

Real-world asthma management with inhaler devices in Switzerland—results of the asthma survey

“…While a specific definition of ACOS is still lacking, due to poorly understood phenotypes and underlying mechanisms, it is characterized by persistent airflow limitation with several features usually associated with asthma and several others associated with COPD (39). It is well accepted that patients with features of both asthma and COPD experience more severe outcomes in terms of exacerbations, quality of life, decline in lung function, and mortality and use more healthcare resources than patients with either single disease alone (38,39,43). A stepwise diagnostic approach, as recently recommended (39), was obviously not part of the present survey, such that the true prevalence of ACOS cannot be inferred from the present findings.…”

Mortality in Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap in the United States

“…407,409,413,414 However, there is no generally agreed term or defining features for this category of chronic airflow limitation, although a definition based upon consensus has been published for overlap in patients with existing COPD. 415 In spite of these uncertainties, there is broad agreement that patients with features of both asthma and COPD experience frequent exacerbations, 409 have poor quality of life, a more rapid decline in lung function and high mortality, 409,416 and consume a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources 417 than asthma or COPD alone. In these reports, the proportion of patients with features of both asthma and COPD is unclear and will have been influenced by the initial inclusion criteria used for the studies from which the data were drawn.…”

Overlap of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Patients in the United States: Analysis of Prevalence, Features, and Subtypes (Preprint)

“…[7] Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO; previously referred to as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation consistent with COPD, together with several distinguishing features of asthma. [7] Prevalence estimates range from 5.5% to 55%, [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] likely attributable to differences in diagnostic criteria for asthma and COPD, [5] and other factors, including age and gender. [15] Despite a growing body of literature, no standard exists to identify the syndrome and there is no consensus definition.…”