Using exercise-testing to explore patient differences in severe asthma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A cross-sectional study using cardio-pulmonary exercise stress testing to understand physiological differences in t2-biomarker low severe asthma
IRAS ID
320351
Contact name
Liam Heaney
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queens University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 7 days
Research summary
Background:
Asthma effects 300 million people globally with 461,000 deaths estimated in 2019. Severe asthma is described as worsening disease when high dose treatments are reduced. A group of patients often have persistent breathlessness with severe asthma, on high dose steroids, despite evidence that inflammation in their lungs is controlled. This group often suffers from obesity/low mood/anxiety which contribute to breathlessness. In this group, steroids have little benefit and carry significant risk. Exercise-testing can be used to diagnose other causes of breathlessness not caused by asthma.How are these patients different compared to patients who respond to treatment?
In this study, we will look at reasons why patients with low levels of inflammation in their lungs are still breathless despite being on treatment. This patient group will be compared to patients who are similar but whose symptoms respond to treatment. We will also look at other groups of asthma patients who have who have different levels of inflammation in their lungs.How do we investigate these patients?
We will conduct a study at the “Clinical Research Facility” (Belfast City Hospital), with funding provided by the Belfast trust. Patients will be recruited from the "Difficult Asthma Clinic" over a 6-month period. We will perform exercise-testing in patients with high levels of breathlessness versus patients with low levels of breathlessness. We will compare the background and overall fitness levels in all groups. We will follow patients up after 6 months. This may provide new knowledge to why these patients remain breathless despite being on treatment with low levels of inflammation.What will this study tell us?
We predict, these patients will have a different background and features to those whose symptoms respond to treatment.REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
22/NI/0184
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion