Recent Advances in Asthma Management

The treatment of asthma has improved greatly during the last two decades, and deaths from the disease have decreased.1 Despite these advances, many asthma patients fail to achieve optimal asthma control as defined by international guidelines.^2,3 Severe asthma is associated with high risk of exacerbations and death.⁴ Definitions of severe asthma vary but, according to European Respiratory Society (ERS)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines, severe asthma is asthma that requires treatment with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids plus a second controller, and/or systemic corticosteroids, to prevent it from becoming uncontrolled, or remains uncontrolled despite this therapy.^2,5 In an expert interview, Professor Barnes discusses the latest advances in the management of both mild and severe asthma.