Characteristics of patients undergoing bronchial thermoplasty for severe asthma in the United Arab Emirates

Goal: To summarizes the characteristics of patients who have undergone Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) in the past year at our institution. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent BT at our center to date. Results: Sixteen patients underwent BT procedure from February 2015 to date. The majority of patients were females (12/16). The mean age was 40.8 (range 29 to 62) years. The mean BMI was 29.3 (range 21.2 to 42.9). Eleven patients were UAE local citizens and the remaining were expatriate UAE residents. The mean FEV1 was 67.9 (range 40 to 90) % of predicted. Fourteen of the 16 patients had eosinophil counts more than 150 x10*9/mL. The mean IgE level was 491.7 (range 13.2 to 2050) IU/mL, with 7 patients on omalizumab therapy. The mean ACT score prior to BT was 13.18 (range 5 to 20) points. All patients were on combination LABA/ICS therapy with 13 also on LAMA. Fourteen patients were on montelukast and three on continuous daily maintenance oral corticosteroids. Conclusions: There is predominance of females in their 4th and 5th decade of life in our cohort of patients requiring BT in the UAE. Most patients were overweight or mildly obese and had allergic asthma with the majority considered for or receiving omalizumab therapy. Most patients had moderate airway obstruction. ACT scores were consistent with uncontrolled disease despite being compliant with optimal pharmacological therapy.