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."
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 |
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Initial visit |
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Regular visit |
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Emergency visit |
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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.
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."