Swedish researchers have completed a study of the methods of diagnosing asthma. Their findings suggest that administering a combination of the two primary tests used to detect the condition leads to a better diagnosis and more appropriate treatment.
Prior to the study, the accepted practice was to use one of two diagnostic procedures to determine whether a patient had asthma, according to Medical News Today. For years, healthcare providers have relied on either a measurement of the concentration of nitric oxide that a patient exhales or the number of eosinophil granulocytes in the individual's blood to make a diagnosis.
The results of a study by researchers from Uppsala University showed that each of these tests could reveal signs of different inflammatory processes in the body instead of the same one. Therefore, when patients undergo the tests in combination, they're more likely to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment. The scientists published their findings in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The Mayo Clinic describes asthma as a chronic disorder marked by narrowed, swollen airways that produce more mucus than normal. Patients experience difficulty breathing and bouts of coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
Around 18.7 million U.S. adults suffered from asthma in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disorder affected around 7 million children, or 1 in every 11 youngsters. It costs the country $56 billion a year, and approximately nine patients die from this condition every day. Nearly 60 percent of patients have to limit their normal activities because they have asthma.
Swedish scientists sought to look at the importance of the two tests to detect asthma as markers of inflammation. Their subjects included 12,408 people between the ages of 6 and 80 years old. Subjects were part of a large U.S. database known as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
When the researchers examined the link between nitric oxide and blood eosinophils, they found it weak. However, when they administered both tests, they noted elevated levels of each marker that were independent of each other. Using two tests simultaneously created a type of synergy, a result in which the whole has a benefit greater than the sum of its parts. As a result of this synergy, the scientists observed a greater probability of subjects reporting events like attacks or symptoms during the preceding year.
Study results supported the hypothesis that the markers in the two tests represented two distinct processes of inflammation. The findings recommended that healthcare providers use a combination of both tests to better understand the role of inflammation in asthma and to choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
Vonda J. Sines has published thousands of print and online health and medical articles. She specializes in diseases and other conditions that affect the quality of life.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-says-combining-two-tests-yields-better-asthma-155600484.html
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