Inflammatory Markers Boosted Asthma Attack Prediction, Meta-Analysis Finds

MedPage Today (4/10, Phend) reports, “Inflammatory markers boosted asthma attack prediction, potentially allowing intensification of treatment, according to a meta-analysis of patient-level data from randomized controlled trials.” Investigators found that “greater risk of severe asthma attacks was seen with higher blood eosinophil count, at a relative risk of 1.48 per 10-fold increase...and with higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), at a relative risk of 1.44 per 10-fold increase.” The data indicated that “the risk was even higher with the two combined than either independently, such that the relative risk nearly doubled with a blood eosinophil count of 0.30 × 109 cells/L and FeNO 50 ppb versus less than 0.15 × 109 cells/L and 25 ppb, respectively.” The findings were published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.