Biomedical subjects

Laurence Halimi

Publications and source records attributed to Laurence Halimi.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Interference of psychological factors in difficult-to-control asthma.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with asthma can be controlled with suitable medication, but 5-10% of them remain difficult to control despite optimal management. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether patients with difficult-to-control asthma (DCA) or controlled asthma (CA) differ with respect to psychological factors, such as general control beliefs on life events. METHODS: DCA was defined as an absence of control despite optimal management. Recent control was measured using the Asthma Control Questionnaire. General control beliefs were investigated using a Locus of Control scale (LOC). RESULTS: Patients with DCA had a significantly higher external LOC as compared to patients with CA (P=0.01). In the DCA group, the hospital admission rate was highly significant in association with the external LOC (P=0.004) as compared to the internal LOC trend. CONCLUSION: This study showed that patients with DCA had different general control beliefs which might have hampered their management and interfered with their therapeutic adherence. The present findings could enhance management of DCA in a clinical setting.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Difficult asthma].

Difficult asthma is a major issue in pulmonary medicine today because of its cost for patients and society. Difficult asthma is asthma that remains uncontrolled despite optimal specialist management. The validity of the diagnosis must be reconsidered in these cases: associated or differential diagnoses may be involved in the lack of control, and it is always necessary to assess the patient's treatment adhesion. Sufficient time--at least a year--must be taken to get to know the patient and to meet the objectives set. The standard asthma therapies should be tested objectively. Severe asthma is the reality of difficult asthma that endures despite a reaffirmed diagnosis, optimal compliance and controlled comorbidities. Better knowledge is needed of the pathophysiology of these patients' asthma. Improved knowledge of these phenotypes will make it possible to develop innovative treatments. They will need to be validated in clinical research for subsequent use that is wider but more rational because targeted at phenotypes likely to benefit from them.

Administration, Oral↗