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Clinical study on asthma
COREA (Cohort for Reality and Evolution of Adult Asthma in Korea) cohort study

Purpose of the study

Asthma is a representative chronic disease, with an incidence rate of over 20-30% in children and over 15% in adults. Considering the rapid increase in the incidence of childhood asthma in Korea, it is expected that asthma will increase significantly in the future, and it can be anticipated that the national health and medical expenses will be substantial.
Therefore, this study aims to construct an asthma patient cohort to identify clinical indicators that affect the treatment response and prognosis of asthma, and to provide useful new clinical types of asthma. Ultimately, the study aims to provide key evidence to achieve "the development and dissemination of standard diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for chronic airway obstructive diseases in Korea, and the efficient provision of medical care."

Research methods

Asthma patients registered in approximately 40 institutions nationwide are followed up at regular intervals of every 2-3 months per patient for up to 13 years or more. They undergo a screening period of 4 weeks before the study registration. The initial information of the patient (biological sample collection: DNA, serum/plasma, PBMC, sputum, and urine) is obtained in the stable state of the disease (with no acute exacerbation or upper respiratory infection in the past four weeks). Regular visits are divided into visits every 3 months (±4 weeks) and visits once a year, tracking the patient's progress for evaluation. Patient information is obtained similarly to the registration visit at the regular visit once a year. An emergency visit refers to a visit to the outpatient clinic or emergency room that was not previously scheduled, due to a change in the patient's condition. The main cause of such an emergency visit is acute exacerbation, which refers to symptoms such as an increase in sputum volume, changes in sputum purulence, increased dyspnea, increased cough, and increased wheezing. Additional investigations are conducted to check if there has been a change in the medication due to these symptoms.

Pre-registration visit
  • The inclusion and exclusion criteria are confirmed.
  • The items evaluated during the pre-registration (screening) visit can be used as they are at the initial visit. However, there should be no more than a 4-week gap between the pre-registration and initial visits, and no special events such as exacerbation should occur between them.
Initial visit
  • Information is collected at the time of study registration, and the information is obtained in the stable state of the disease (with no acute exacerbation or upper respiratory infection in the past four weeks).
Regular visit
  • Regular visits are divided into visits every 3 months and visits once a year, tracking the patient's progress for evaluation.
  • Patient information is obtained similarly to the registration visit at the regular visit once a year.
Emergency visit
  • An emergency visit refers to an unplanned outpatient or emergency room visit due to a change in the patient's condition.
  • Acute exacerbation refers to the presence of one or more of the following five symptoms.
    • 1) five symptoms : increased sputum production, purulent sputum, increased shortness of breath, increased cough, increased wheezing
    • 2) Investigate whether the medication regimen has changed due to these five symptoms.
Study participants
  • a. Must be 18 years of age or older.
  • b. Must have chronic respiratory symptoms with airflow limitation or airway hyperresponsiveness, and meet all three of the following criteria
    • - Chronic is defined as symptoms persisting for more than 3 months or recurring.
    • - Respiratory symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, or increased sputum.
    • - There is airflow limitation (FEV1/FVC <0.7) or airway hyperresponsiveness (methacholine provocation test result PC20 <25mg/ml).
  • c. Must understand the purpose of the clinical trial and voluntarily consent to participate in this clinical trial.
Exclusion criteria
  • a. Presence of any other disease during the study period that may cause death or disability (e.g. cancer, heart failure, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, uncontrolled hypertension, etc.) or any other condition that, in the physician's opinion, is not suitable for the study.
  • b. Presence of severe conditions that may affect pulmonary function tests or CT image analysis (e.g. lung resection, TB destroyed lung, bronchiectasis, etc.).
Participant benefits

As an observational study that follows standardized tests and treatments, there are no additional burdensome tests or treatments for patients to participate in this clinical trial.

Clinical study on asthma
COREA (Cohort for Reality and Evolution of Adult Asthma in Korea) cohort study

Purpose of the study

Asthma is a representative chronic disease, with an incidence rate of over 20-30% in children and over 15% in adults. Considering the rapid increase in the incidence of childhood asthma in Korea, it is expected that asthma will increase significantly in the future, and it can be anticipated that the national health and medical expenses will be substantial.

Therefore, this study aims to construct an asthma patient cohort to identify clinical indicators that affect the treatment response and prognosis of asthma, and to provide useful new clinical types of asthma. Ultimately, the study aims to provide key evidence to achieve "the development and dissemination of standard diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for chronic airway obstructive diseases in Korea, and the efficient provision of medical care."

Study participants
  • a. Must be 18 years of age or older.
  • b. Must have chronic respiratory symptoms with airflow limitation or airway hyperresponsiveness, and meet all three of the following criteria.
    • - Chronic is defined as symptoms persisting for more than 3 months or recurring.
    • - Respiratory symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, or increased sputum.
    • - There is airflow limitation (FEV1/FVC <0.7) or airway hyperresponsiveness (methacholine provocation test result PC20 <25mg/ml).
  • c. Must understand the purpose of the clinical trial and voluntarily consent to participate in this clinical trial.