Managing asthma can be difficult because not every patient reacts the same way to treatment. Doctors often use a survey called the ACQ-5 to measure how well a patient's asthma is controlled. This survey looks at daily symptoms and how much the illness affects a person's life. While this survey is helpful for tracking daily progress, a large study of over 7,000 people looked at whether these scores could predict future severe asthma attacks.
The study found that while a higher score on the survey did mean a slightly higher risk of an attack, the link was not very strong. This means the survey is okay for tracking symptoms, but it is not the best tool for predicting when a dangerous flare-up might happen. Because the link was modest, doctors cannot rely solely on these survey scores to decide which patients need the most aggressive medical interventions.
Instead, the researchers looked at biological markers in the blood and lungs. They specifically looked at eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) and a gas called nitric oxide in the breath. These markers are much better at identifying which patients are at high risk for severe attacks. For patients with high levels of these markers, a specific treatment called mepolizumab showed a significant reduction in the number of attacks.
For example, patients with high eosinophil counts and high nitric oxide levels saw a much larger drop in their risk of having an attack compared to others. This suggests that looking at the body's internal signals provides a clearer picture of a patient's health than a questionnaire alone. These markers help doctors pinpoint exactly who will benefit most from specific types of medicine.
In conclusion, while patient surveys are useful for tracking daily comfort, they do not provide enough information to predict severe medical emergencies. Doctors should use blood tests and lung gas levels to identify high-risk patients. These biological markers are more reliable tools for choosing the right treatment plan to keep patients safe and healthy.
