Comparative Responses in Lung Function Measurements with Tiotropium in Adolescents and Adults, and Across Asthma Severities: A Post Hoc Analysis

Abstract

Plain Language Summary Asthma is characterised by problems with the way that the lungs work, particularly narrowing of the airways. Doctors can measure the effect of asthma on someone’s breathing in different ways. We looked to see whether these different methods work for different people with asthma, and whether treatment affects all measurements in a similar way. Lung function was measured after treatment with a drug that opens the airways (tiotropium), and comparisons were made between adults and adolescents with asthma. We also looked at people with severe asthma and those whose asthma was less severe. Tiotropium improved all the measures of lung function in both age groups and across severities. One measure improved more in adults than in adolescents. This may be because adolescents had better lung function at the start and thus less room for improvement, or because the adolescents had not had asthma for as long, and so may have had less long-term damage to their airways than adults. Trial Registration Numbers: NCT00772538, NCT00776984, NCT01172808, NCT01172821, NCT01316380, NCT01257230.

Keywords

• Airway obstruction
• Asthma
• Muscarinic antagonist
• Respiratory function tests
• Tiotropium bromide