Explore the types, prevalence and burden of asthma in the UK.
Severe asthma and Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP)
Explore the impacts of severe asthma and access practical resources about severe asthma and CRSwNP
Types of asthma
Asthma is a heterogenous disease with different phenotypes.1
Burden of severe asthma
Patients with severe asthma struggle with a heavy burden of symptoms, exacerbations and medication side effects.1,4,5
Prevalence of severe asthma globally and in the United Kingdom
Severe asthma has a substantial effect on health in the UK.9–12
- The patient’s goal may be different
- Symptom control and risk may be discordant
- Patients with few symptoms can still have severe exacerbations
Goals of asthma treatment1
Symptom control (e.g. ACT, ACQ)
- Few asthma symptoms
- No sleep disturbance
- No exercise limitation
Risk reduction
- Maintain normal lung function
- Prevent flare-ups (exacerbations)
- Prevent asthma deaths
- Minimise medication side-effects (including OCS)
Use of oral corticosteroid (OCS) in severe asthma in the UK
In the UK, OCS are used to treat patients with severe asthma whose symptoms are not effectively controlled with other treatments.13
OCS can be used as:
- Acute use: Immediately during an asthma attack
- Long-term use: Every day to prevent symptoms
Cumulative effects of long-term and repeated exposure to OCS are associated with toxic side effects detrimental to QoL.14
UK Delphi Consensus recommendations16
A UK Delphi consensus suggests severe asthma patients need prompt access to community diagnostics and service innovation.16
Watch experts discuss key considerations associated with severe asthma in the UK.
Primary care and severe eosinophilic asthma: referrals and OCS use
This is a short video message from Dr Pujan Patel to colleagues in primary care following an interview regarding the barriers to optimal care of severe asthma.
Disclosures
Dr Patel has received a fee to create this content. Dr Patel has received honoraria for Advisory Board and Speaker fees from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and TEVA.
NP-GB-ASU-VID-250003 I April 2025
Severe asthma: burdens and barriers
Ben Egan presents and discusses some of the key points on the burden of severe asthma in the UK, including the role of eosinophils and accurate diagnosis.
Disclosures
Dr Egan was employed by GlaxoSmithKline at the time of recording.
NP-GB-ASU-VID-240001 I April 2025
Knowledge Q’s
QUESTION 1
Severe asthma __________
CORRECT ANSWER
WRONG ANSWER
QUESTION 2
Delayed diagnosis and treatment of patients with severe asthma results in __________.
CORRECT ANSWER
WRONG ANSWER
QUESTION 3
Every patient with suspected severe asthma should be seen within _______of referral to an appropriate specialist severe asthma service
CORRECT ANSWER
WRONG ANSWER
QUESTION 4
Four courses/year of systemic corticosteroid (SCS) therapy is associated with increased risk of adverse consequences:
CORRECT ANSWER
WRONG ANSWER
QUESTION 5
What 3 aspects of treatment and outcomes do people with severe asthma regard as most important?
CORRECT ANSWER
WRONG ANSWER
QUESTION 6
The risk of some OCS-related adverse events reduces _______ after cessation of OCS use
CORRECT ANSWER
WRONG ANSWER
Once completed, contact us to receive a CPD certificate
Speakers
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Dr Pujan Patel Dr Pujan Patel
Consultant in Respiratory Medicine
Pujan Patel is a consultant in Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Brompton Hospital’s Severe Asthma service, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College, NHLI and adjunct associate professor at St. Louis University Hospital, USA and manages the UK’s largest cohort of severe asthmatics on asthma biologic therapies.
As the Clinical Lead for the service, Dr Patel is responsible for the assessment of new tertiary referrals and conducts weekly biologic multidisciplinary team meetings to identify suitable biologic candidates.
He serves on various subgroup committees for the British and American Thoracic Societies, and continues to engage in medical education and teaching, both domestically and internationally.
Abbreviations
ACT, Asthma Control Test; ACQ, Asthma Control Questionnaire; BTS, British Thoracic Society; CPD, continuing professional development; CRSwNP, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; GINA, Global Initiative for Asthma; HCP, healthcare professional; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; IgE, immunoglobulin E; LABA, long-acting β2-agonist; MDT, multidisciplinary team; OCS, oral corticosteroids; QoL, quality of life; SEA, severe eosinophilic asthma; SIGN, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.
References
- Global Initiative for Asthma. 2024 Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. Available at: https://ginasthma.org/reports/. Accessed March 2024.
- Israel E et al. NEJM. 2017; 377;10.
- Opina MT et al. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2017;17.
- Chung KF et al. Eur Respir J 2014; 43 (2): 343–73.
- Peters SP et al. Respir Med 2006; 100:1139–1151.
- Jackson DJ et al. Thorax. 2020;76:220–227.
- O'Byrne PM et al. Eur Respir J. 2010;36(2):269-76.
- Kerkhof M et al. 2018. Thorax, 73(2), pp.116-124.
- WHO. Global Asthma Report 2022. Available at: http://globalasthmareport.org/resources/Global_Asthma_Report_2022.pdf. Accessed March 2025.
- Reddel HK et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;59:2102730.
- Asthma+Lung UK. Do No Harm report 2023. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/severe-asthma_report_final.pdf. Accessed March 2025.
- Royal College of Physicians. Why asthma still kills. Available at: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/why-asthma-still-kills. Accessed March 2025.
- NHS. Asthma Treatment. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/treatment/. Accessed March 2025.
- Sullivan PE et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018;141:110–116.
- Price DB et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2018;11:193–204.
- Jackson DJ et al. BMJ Open Resp Res 2021;8.
April 2025 | NP-GB-ASU-WCNT-250002 (V1.0)