title: The Asthma Control Test, Japanese version (ACT-J) as a predictor of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline-defined asthma control: analysis of a questionnaire-based survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The 2006 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2006) guidelines emphasize the importance of evaluating the control rather than the severity of asthma. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is well known to be an excellent tool for evaluating asthma control in the clinical setting. This study aimed to evaluate the ACT, Japanese version (ACT-J) as a predictor of asthma control as defined by the GINA 2006 guidelines in actual clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis comparing the ACT-J score and GINA classification of asthma control among 419 patients of primary care physicians and specialists was performed using the data from a 2010 questionnaire-based survey conducted by the Niigata Asthma Treatment Study Group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The optimal cut-off point of the ACT-J score for predicting GINA-defined asthma control was 23, with ACT-J scores of ≥23 and ≤22 predicting controlled and uncontrolled asthma with area under the receiver operating characteristics curve values of 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.72-0.81] and 0.93 [95% CI: 0.90-0.97], respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACT scores of ≥23 and ≤22 are useful for identifying patients with controlled and uncontrolled asthma, respectively, as defined by GINA 2006, and the latter is more strongly predictive than the former. The reason for the higher cut-off point of the ACT-J relative to other versions of the ACT is unclear and warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. htaka@med.niigata−u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koya
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakagami
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kagamu
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Fumitake
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gejyo
authors.forename: Ichiei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires