Monitoring airway inflammation on a regular basis could significantly improve disease management
Controlling inflammation of the airways in the lungs has become the central focus for managing asthma.5 Physicians involved in the treatment of asthma see their patients at regular intervals to monitor the severity of their patients' symptoms and measure lung function to assess asthma control and adjust medications to the level of perceived control. A patient who is taking an inadequate dose of anti-inflammatory medication or who is not compliant may have uncontrolled airway inflammation even in the absence of acute symptoms or changes in lung function.
Research has shown that exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is a strong indicator of eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthma.10,11,12 The level of nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled breath increases as inflammation increases and decreases as inflammation decreases.
The measurement of eNO promises to be an important additional tool for the physician to be used in conjunction with history, physical examination and other standard testing, e.g. lung function. Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is elevated in untreated or inadequately treated asthma and falls after treatment with anti-inflammatory medications, and in particular inhaled steroids, thus confirming that airway inflammation is reduced and that the patient has taken the prescribed treatment.
The NHLBI (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute) asthma guidelines recommend that monitoring patients on a regular basis and adjusting controller medication to the level of asthma control is the most effective way to control and manage asthma in the long-term.5 By better titrating the dosage of medication for each individual patient, physicians can significantly improve management of asthma in their patients. Over-medication exposes patients to potential side-effects of the drugs (steroids are perceived to impact growth in children) and under-medication can make them susceptible to irreversible damage to the airways. Currently, without accurate, routine measurements of airway inflammation at least in more severe asthma, it may be difficult to set the required level of anti-inflammatory therapy which can also vary from time to time due to seasonal changes. The NHLBI and the GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) asthma guidelines now acknowledge that testing of airway inflammation may play a role in the management of asthma.
The Insight™ eNO System is an accurate, easy-to-use system for measuring exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) levels, suitable for routine use in physician offices. With eNO measurements, physicians can monitor inflammation on a regular basis. By adding accurate eNO measurements to the current ways in which asthma is monitored, physicians can develop a new level of understanding of their patient’s physiology and disease progression. Ultimately, physicians can optimize medication and therapy to achieve better asthma control in their patients by incorporating routine eNO measurements into their practices.