Active clinical trials for "Asthma"

The purpose of this study is to determine whether extra fine formoterol/beclomethasona are more effective in the treatment of asthmatic crisis when added to conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment alone.

CALSA will be compared with FRI and the repeatability of the FRI parameters will be tested in a group of healthy volunteers and asthma patients.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, more than 200 million people suffer from asthma worldwide and in 2009, the disease had claimed 250,000 lives globally. Autopsy reports suggest 2 phenotypes of severe asthma: one that is characterized by intense airway inflammation with mucus plugging, and the other by severe bronchoconstriction causing respiratory failure in the absence of significant airway inflammation. However, it is not easy to stratify patients according to phenotypes without bronchoscopy. Although severe asthma comprises only 10% of affected individuals, it accounts for more than half of the total healthcare spending on asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids are effective by suppressing production of multiple pro-inflammatory mediators, unfortunately efficacy plateaus. Addition of long acting beta agonist and anti-cholinergic agent to inhaled corticosteroids offers some measure of relief but effective treatment of severe asthma remains an unmet goal, resulting in intensive utilization of healthcare resources. In 2010, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bronchial thermoplasty (BT) as an adjunctive therapy for severe asthma. BT is radiofrequency ablation of airway smooth muscle via bronchoscopy with each patient undergoing three procedures which targets different lobes of the lung 3 weeks apart. Studies have demonstrated improved symptom control allowing discontinuation of oral steroids in some patients as well as reductions in exacerbations, hospitalizations and use of rescue medications. No development of airway strictures or bronchiectasis, and regeneration of normal epithelium after BT has been observed. At present, it remains unclear if BT benefits all asthma phenotypes or if BT has any effect on airway inflammation and remodeling. The hypothesis of this study is that bronchial thermoplasty is likely to benefit all severe asthma phenotypes, and achieves this by exerting an effect on airway inflammation and remodelling. The specific aims of the study are: 1) to better define the asthma phenotype who will benefit from BT by microarray and gene expression profiling; 2) to study effects of BT on airway inflammation; 3) to define its role in the overall asthma management algorithm

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by reversible obstruction, inflammation and hyperresponsiveness to different stimulus. Aerobic and breathing exercises have been demonstrated to benefit asthmatic patients; however, there is no evidence comparing the effectiveness of the treatments. Objective: To compare the effects of aerobic and breathing exercises on clinical control (primary outcome), psychosocial morbidity and daily life physical activity (secondary outcome) in patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma. In addition, thoracoabdominal kinematics, heart rate variability and airway and systemic inflammation will be evaluated. The initial hypothesis will be that both exercises present improved clinical control of asthma. Methods: Forty-eight asthmatic adults will be randomly divided into 2 groups: aerobic (AG) and breathing exercises (BG). All treatments will be performed twice a week for 3 months, totalizing 24 sessions of 40 minutes each. Both groups will complete an educational program consisting of 2 classes at the beginning of the interventions. Before and after interventions, the following parameters will be quantified: clinical control, health related quality of life, levels of anxiety and depression, maximal exercise capacity, autonomic nervous imbalance, daily living physical activity, thoracoabdominal kinematics, inflammatory cells in the sputum, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and systemic inflammatory cytokines. Asthma symptoms will be quantified monthly using diaries. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test will be used to analyze the data normality, and a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures with appropriate post hoc test (Student Newman Keuls) will be used to compare the inter and intra-groups differences

The aim of this randomized double-blind placebo controlled study is to assess whether vitamin D supplementation will improve control in South African children with persistent asthma at an academic hospital. The following hypotheses will be tested: Vitamin D significantly and directly correlates with poor control of persistent asthma; Daily vitamin D supplementation for six months will result in improved control of persistent asthma compared to a placebo. It is intended to enroll 100 children between the ages of 6 to 12 years with persistent asthma on inhaled therapy. The sample size calculations are based on the hypothesis that vitamin D supplementation will result in a 25% improvement in asthma symptoms as measured by the Asthma Treatment Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ) and peak flow readings. The children will be randomized into one of two groups; one group will be given 1200 IU of vitamin and the other a placebo. The vitamin D or placebo will be given in the morning daily to each child for six months. The children will be assessed monthly by the study physician, to evaluate for signs of poor asthma control e.g. persistent cough and recurrent wheezing. The heights and weights and peak expiratory flow meter readings will also be obtained monthly for six months. Blood samples will be taken for Vitamin D levels, calcium, phosphorus levels at baseline, third month and at the end of the study. All enrolled children will be required to produce their tablet containers for pill counting on a monthly basis to ensure adherence.

This study has the aim to assess the effectiveness of the Ai Chi method as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of children with asthma.

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of a single dose of intramuscular dexamethasone versus 3 days of twice-daily oral prednisolone in the management of mild to moderate asthma exacerbations in children and test whether this single dose of intramuscular dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg (max. 18 mg) is equal to prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day (max. 40 mg) in the treatment of exacerbations of asthma in children, as measured by the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM).

This is a prospective, randomized multi-center trial investigating the impact of lower airway infection with P. aeruginosa in COPD patients. The aim of the study is to evaluate if targeted antibiotic therapy against P. aeruginosa can improve the prognosis in patients with COPD. non-CF bronchiectasis (BE) and asthma.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with high prevalence worldwide, considered an important cause of morbidity, mortality and high economic costs. Aerobic physical exercise has great merit as non-pharmacological treatment and other exercise modalities have being studied. However, there are few data in the literature about the effects of Pilates method in patients with asthma. The objective of this study is evaluate the effects of a program of exercise using Pilates on health factors related to quality of life in patients with moderate or severe persistent asthma. Patients will be also evaluated about disease control, anxiety and depression symptoms, functional capacity, lung function, respiratory muscle strength, thoracoabdominal mechanics and level of daily life physical activity. The investigators' hypothesis is that strengthening of the deep trunk muscles promotes a mechanical fixation of the thorax, contributing to the clinical improvement of patients with asthma.

To investigate the effectiveness of addition of recording video of the patient performing inhaler techniques using mobile phone for discussion with the patient, to standard care inhaler education compared to standard care inhaler education alone, in improving inhaler technique of asthma patients.