Researchers in Nottingham hope to transform the treatment of breathing problems by proving many people are being misdiagnosed with asthma.
Experts at the University of Nottingham are asking for people with mild asthma to take part in a clinical trial involving a new breath test to examine their diagnosis.
Dr Tim Harrison and his team at the university’s Respiratory Research Unit have noticed Nottingham patients previously recommended asthma treatment by medics in fact do not have the condition, meaning they get no benefit from medication such as inhalers.
Dr Harrison said: “We believe a large proportion of patients diagnosed with asthma do not benefit from their treatment given because they have no evidence of airway inflammation.
“This happens because the symptoms of asthma are non-specific and excluding it is very difficult.
“Although the inhalers are relatively safe, the amount of prescriptions given mean a huge cost to both the NHS and patients with some patients then having their treatment escalated because they do not improve with low dosages.”
Some patients diagnosed with asthma do not benefit from their treatment
The study is securing the support of 20 GP practices in Nottingham to help recruit 165 patients in January 2016 diagnosed with asthma, or who are going to be given inhalers.
The patients taking part will do a simple breath test designed to say for certain whether or not an inhaler will actually help them.
Those with results showing the medication won’t help will then be invited to take part in a randomised trial to compare three months of steroid treatment compared with a placebo.
The study has been developed with the Nottingham City Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG) along with funding from the National Institute for Healthcare Research.
Dr Manik Arora from the NCCG said: “This is an important and invaluable piece of research that will make a real difference.
“It will enable us to deliver better care for patients.”
