Review article

The Importance of Small Airways in Asthma

Marko Jakopović ; Klinika za plućne bolesti "Jordanovac"

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic infl ammatory disease of the airways. Inflammation in asthma is not only present in large airways, but also present in small, peripheral airways. Obstruction and infl ammation of small airways is especially associated with nocturnal asthma, exercise-induced asthma, and asthma with frequent exacerbations. In diagnosis and monitoring of asthma patients, it is important to estimate inflammation and degree of obstruction of small airways with non–invasive methods: spirometry, plethysmography, high resolution computed tomography and fractional exhaled NO. Development of ultrafine particles inhaled corticosteroids enabled us to treat inflammation of small airways and achieve a similar or even better asthma control with signifi cantly lower inhaled corticosteroid doses.

Keywords

asthma; small airways; inflammation; ultrafine particles; inhaled corticosteroids

Hrčak ID:

106473

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/106473

Publication date:

15.5.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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