Asthma and Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome: Are we over-diagnosing asthma?

Abstract

<bold>Aim:</bold> A single-centre study aimed to examine whether bronchial asthma is over-diagnosed in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) solely or in combination with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). <bold>Methods:</bold> We collected data from patients (n=170) followed in our long-term ventilation clinic over the last 5 years and identified those with OHS solely or in combination with other disease conditions. We then searched in their primary record for having a label of “asthma diagnosis” at any time point before first diagnosed by our team. We currently present data from 66 patients and full data will be available later. <bold>Results:</bold> Preliminary analysis included 66 patients; among which n=19 were diagnosed with OHS and n=17 were diagnosed with OSA/OHS overlap (<bold>Figure</bold>). Eighty-nine percent of OHS patients and 65% of OSA/OHS patients had a label of asthma diagnosis. Of these, only 6 and 9% (respectively) had a proper test to confirm asthma diagnosis. In those with a label for asthma diagnosis in the absence of a confirmatory objective test, 88% and 80% of OHS and OSA/OHS patients, respectively, were prescribed inhalers. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The above results suggest that asthma is over-diagnosed in patients with obesity hypoventilation and highlight areas of considerable unmet needs as well as possibilities for intervention. <fig><object-id>erjor;11/suppl_16/81/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>