Asthma control in patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta agonists: A population-based analysis in Germany.

Abstract Background The prevalence and the characteristics of poor asthma control among adults treated with combinations of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) are not completely understood. Methods Data from adult patients in Germany with self-reported asthma treated with an ICS-LABA combination in the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) were analysed. Patients with well-controlled and not well-controlled asthma according to the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score were compared, with respect to socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes, adherence and outcomes. Results Among the German patients with self-reported asthma (5.2% of the respondents), 16.2% (382 patients) were treated with an ICS-LABA combination and did not report concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis or emphysema. In this subgroup, 55.8% had not well-controlled asthma (ACT  Conclusions A substantial proportion of patients treated with ICS and LABA had not well-controlled asthma. These patients did not differ from well-controlled patients in terms of education or self-reported adherence, but in terms of their attitudes regarding the patient-physician relationship.