Study Identifies Patterns of Asthma Inhaler Use

Using electronic inhaler sensors, researchers assessed the temporal patterns of daily controlled medication use for children and adults with asthma. Leanne Kaye, PhD, of Propeller Health in San Francisco, California, and colleagues found that controller medication adherence varies by age, time of day, and season for patients with asthma. The results were presented at the 2018 AAAAI Annual Meeting.

Patients with asthma who actively enrolled with a sensor and the Propeller Health platform for ≥8 weeks were included in the study after their first use of a controller medication. The researchers recorded the prescribed medication and recommended dosing schedule.

The analysis included 1394 participants with 11,155 patient-weeks of data. They observed that medication adherence incrementally improved by advancing age group, with a mean weekly adherence of 40.7% for those 12 to 25 years of age and 65% for those ≥60 years of age (P<.001). Adherence for those <12 years of age was 47%, “possibly reflecting parental assistance,” the authors noted.

Adherence was highest in the winter months for adults and highest in the fall/winter months for those <18 years of age. Adherence declined in the summer months, with the greatest observed reduction in children observed from a peak of 52% to 54% in fall and winter months to 35% in July.

Most patients (70%) were prescribed twice daily dosing, with 56% adhering to both doses and 22% adhering to either the morning or evening dose only. Mean adherence for combination inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting beta-agonists was 15% higher than ICS monotherapy.

“[These] insights should play a pivotal role in developing personalized programs to improve adherence among adults and children with asthma,” the authors concluded.

Source: Kaye L, Hoch H, Szefler SJ, et al. Real-life patterns of asthma controller use vary by age, time of day and season. Abstract #193. Presented at the 2018 AAAAI Annual Meeting, March 2-5, 2018, Orlando, FL.