Exhaled nitric oxide predicts lung function decline in difficult-to-treat asthma. Eur Respir J 2008; 32(2): 344-9. van Veen IH, Ten Brinke A, Sterk PJ, Sont JK, Gauw SA, Rabe KF, Bel EH.

A subset of patients with asthma is known to have progressive loss of lung function despite treatment with corticosteroids. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors of decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma.

In total, 136 non smoking patients with difficult-to-treat asthma were recruited between 1998 and 1999. Follow-up assessment was performed 5-6 yrs later in 98 patients. Patients with high exhaled NO at run-in had an excess decline of 40.3 mL / year compared to patients with low exhaled NO. A high exhaled NO value was associated with a relative risk of 1.9 of having an accelerated decline in lung function. In patients with baseline FEV1 > 80% of predicted, this relationship was even stronger (relative risk of 3.1).

The study concluded that exhaled nitric oxide is a predictor of accelerated decline in lung function in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma.

PubMed link
PMID: 18508818 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]