Educational intervention improves lung function, quality of life, inflammatory profile in asthmatics

An educational intervention for proper inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use helps improve lung function, quality of life, and control of inflammation among asthma patients, a recent study has found.

Fifty-eight patients with partly controlled or uncontrolled asthma participated in the study. Randomization allotted them 1:1 to an intervention group (n=32), who were given education regarding proper ICS use, and a control group (n=26). The Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Control Questionnaire, Asthma Quality Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) were also used for patient assessment.

Patients in the intervention group showed a significant increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second both before (p=0.009) and after (p=0.004) bronchodilator use at the 4- and 8-week follow-ups. No such effect was reported for controls.

At the same time points, AQLQ likewise detected significant improvements in quality of life (p=0.005) and BDI documented significantly better depression levels over the follow-up duration (p=0.002). The educational intervention likewise resulted in a better inflammatory profile, inducing significant reductions in eosinophil number, interleukin-4, and interleukin-5.

“We showed that an educational program directed to asthmatic patients in addition to physician care has an important role in disease control. Identifying patients’ needs, beliefs and behaviours can indicate where improvements should be focused to help people and plan future interventions,” the researchers said.

“We suggest that health educational programs should be part of asthma management,” they added.