Irreversible airway obstruction in asthma: what we lose, we lose early.
Asthma, a syndrome manifested by airway inflammation and obstruction, globally contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. Although current evidence identifies risk factors that evoke asthma, critical questions concerning susceptibility factors that induce severe persistent disease remain unclear. Early onset of asthma decreases lung function that may be unrecognized until later in adulthood when patients experience dyspnea on exertion and attenuated quality of life. This review highlights current evidence in predicting the onset of asthma and identifying those patients at greatest risk for severe persistent disease.
Translational Medicine, Respiratory, Inflammation, and Autoimmunity Group, MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.
Gautam
G
Damera
Reynold A
RA
Panettieri
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors