title: Use of the Asthma Control Questionnaire to predict future risk of asthma exacerbation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Direct correlation of assessments of a validated composite measure such as the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and risk of exacerbation has not been previously demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of the ACQ score over time to predict risk of a future asthma exacerbation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This analysis included data from a 12-week placebo-controlled trial (N = 292) of AMG 317, an IL-4 receptor α antagonist, in patients with moderate to severe atopic asthma. At baseline, patients had an ACQ score ≥1.5. Exacerbations were defined as requirement for systemic corticosteroids. A Cox proportional hazards model was used, with ACQ score as the time-dependent covariate. The analysis was repeated for individual components of the ACQ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each 1-point increase in ACQ was associated with a 50% increased risk of exacerbation (hazard ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.03-2.20) for the following 2-week period. Evaluation of individual ACQ components also demonstrated a similar trend, though each to a lesser degree than the full composite ACQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although based on a retrospective analysis, with small number of exacerbations, these findings support the utility of the composite ACQ score measurement to predict risk of future exacerbation in clinical trials and clinical practice. The composite ACQ score measurement was found to be a better predictor of future risk than individual ACQ components.
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Asthma Medical Group and Research Center, San Diego, Calif. 92123, USA. eomeltzer@aol.com
authors.forename: Eli O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Meltzer
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Busse
authors.forename: Sally E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: Vasily
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Belozeroff
authors.forename: Haoling H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: JingYuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.forename: Chiun-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Globe
authors.forename: Shao-Lee
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents