Asthma Heterogeneity and Therapeutic Options
Purpose of review Asthma is a chronic pulmonary inflammatory disease affecting all races, children and adults. The causative or intrinsic development of asthma is diverse, ranging from episodic exposure to environmental insults to physical induction in exercise.
Recent findings Asthma uniquely manifests in affected individuals as episodes of airway hyper-reactivity, chronic airway obstruction, and inflammation. The diversity in asthmatic phenotypes and the mechanisms that lead to initiation and perpetuation of the lung disease continue to make asthma a challenge to treat, classify, and manage therapeutically.
Summary This review will focus on the newest of mechanistic insights into asthma development, therapeutic innovations, and clinical applications.
Asthma is a heterogeneous condition of unclear, but likely multifactorial origins. It is characterized by varying degrees of airflow obstruction, airway inflammation, and episodes of cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Further, airway structural changes and remodeling develop in some patients with asthma. The onset of asthma often occurs during childhood, but symptoms can also begin in adulthood. Atopy is a risk factor for the development of asthma, particularly when the onset is during childhood, but not all individuals with asthma are also atopic. The variability in the presentation, natural history, and response to therapies of children and adults with asthma presents challenges to both clinicians and researchers interested in understanding the origins and best treatments for the disease. Despite these challenges, there have been numerous recent publications that have advanced our understanding of asthma, many of which will be reviewed here.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Purpose of review Asthma is a chronic pulmonary inflammatory disease affecting all races, children and adults. The causative or intrinsic development of asthma is diverse, ranging from episodic exposure to environmental insults to physical induction in exercise.
Recent findings Asthma uniquely manifests in affected individuals as episodes of airway hyper-reactivity, chronic airway obstruction, and inflammation. The diversity in asthmatic phenotypes and the mechanisms that lead to initiation and perpetuation of the lung disease continue to make asthma a challenge to treat, classify, and manage therapeutically.
Summary This review will focus on the newest of mechanistic insights into asthma development, therapeutic innovations, and clinical applications.
Introduction
Asthma is a heterogeneous condition of unclear, but likely multifactorial origins. It is characterized by varying degrees of airflow obstruction, airway inflammation, and episodes of cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Further, airway structural changes and remodeling develop in some patients with asthma. The onset of asthma often occurs during childhood, but symptoms can also begin in adulthood. Atopy is a risk factor for the development of asthma, particularly when the onset is during childhood, but not all individuals with asthma are also atopic. The variability in the presentation, natural history, and response to therapies of children and adults with asthma presents challenges to both clinicians and researchers interested in understanding the origins and best treatments for the disease. Despite these challenges, there have been numerous recent publications that have advanced our understanding of asthma, many of which will be reviewed here.
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