WORLD ASTHMA DAY: 2 million Canadians Living with Uncontrolled Asthma Urged to Take Control of their Condition

~Asthma Canada Calls on Policy Makers Across Canada to Address Care Gaps in Asthma Care~

TORONTO, May 7, 2024 /CNW/ - This World Asthma Day, Asthma Canada is calling on the approximately 2 million Canadians living with uncontrolled asthma, to take control of their condition to live their best quality of life – symptom free.  

In Canada, over 4 million people are living with asthma, however, studies show that more than 50% have an uncontrolled form of the disease, resulting in unnecessary reductions in quality of life, avoidable illness and in some cases, even death.  

"It is alarming to see the levels of uncontrolled asthma are still prevalent across Canada. While there have been significant advancements made in the field in recent years, the fact of the matter is, one in two people with asthma are living a decreased quality of life because of their condition," President and CEO of Asthma Canada, Jeffrey Beach said. "Many Canadians living with asthma have accepted poor control as part of living with the condition. But there is an alternative and a symptom free life is attainable. If your asthma is holding you back from doing the things you love in life, this is an indication that your asthma is uncontrolled."

To assess whether an individual's asthma is controlled or uncontrolled, Asthma Canada advises considering the following five questions:

1. Do you have frequent breathing difficulties and find yourself coughing and wheezing most days? 
2. Does your asthma impact your sleep by waking or keeping you up at night? 
3. Do you experience breathing difficulties when you exercise or exert yourself physically? 
4. Do you frequently miss work or school due to asthma? 
5. Do you use your reliever inhaler more than twice a week?  

Answering yes to any of these questions is an indication of uncontrolled asthma. For those who suspect they have uncontrolled asthma, Asthma Canada recommends visiting asthma.ca to download a free Asthma Action Plan and speaking to their healthcare professional about their asthma management.  

"For five decades, Asthma Canada has been the national charity dedicated to supporting individuals impacted by asthma," said Jeffrey Beach, as the charity celebrates its 50th anniversary year. "If you have any questions about your or a family member's asthma, please reach out to our FREE Asthma and Allergy HelpLine at 1-866-787-4050 where you can speak to an asthma expert about any aspect of asthma management." 

On World Asthma Day, while attending the Ontario legislature at Queen's Park to recognise the critical work of Asthma Canada for the asthma community, Jeffrey Beach reiterated the crucial role policymakers have in addressing the widespread issue of uncontrolled asthma throughout Canada. "Many people living with asthma, and particularly those living with severe asthma, continue to face obstacles within the healthcare system that impede their ability to manage their condition effectively. This exacerbates symptom management challenges and adds strain to our already overburdened acute health care system. To tackle this growing issue, policymakers must act promptly and make asthma care a priority."

Asthma Canada was a participant in a recent expert steering committee that developed the first Canadian stakeholder consensus for diagnosis, appropriate referral, and treatment of severe asthma. More than 150 certified respiratory educators, respirologists, allergists, general practitioners/family physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists from across the country participated in the study, to lay out a path for high-quality respiratory care for Canadians.

The study presents policy makers with a road map and best practices to improve the quality of care, resulting in improved outcomes, quality of life and patient experience for Canadians living with severe asthma and their caregivers. Policy actions include:

1. Address the gaps in timely and accurate referrals to specialists, complying with the 4–8-week optimal period, for patients living with asthma.
2. Explore an enhanced role for allied health care professionals, such as certified respiratory educators, who can support the care system.
3. Establish consistently referral pathways with acceptable wait times across the continuum of care.

These recommendations if implemented, would ensure Canadians living with uncontrolled asthma can achieve better control and live a better quality of life - symptom free.

Asthma Canada is the only national healthcare charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with asthma and respiratory allergies. For 50 years, Asthma Canada has proudly served as the national voice for Canadians living with asthma. Our mission is to help Canadians with asthma lead healthy lives through education, advocacy and research. For more information, please visit Asthma.ca.

• Over 4 million people are living with asthma in Canada
  
  • Including 900,000 children under 19; and
  • 800,000 adults over the age of 65;
• Asthma is the third most prevalent chronic disease in Canada
• An estimated 317 Canadians are diagnosed with asthma every day
• An estimated 250 Canadians lose their lives to asthma each year
• Some Canadians are hit harder by asthma; it is 40% more prevalent among First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities than the general Canadian population.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes symptoms like shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing and wheezing. Asthma causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, which leads to limited airflow and difficulty breathing. There is currently no cure for asthma, but with proper treatment, it can be managed.

An Asthma Action Plan serves as a personalized roadmap for managing asthma, enabling people living with the disease to identify potential flare-ups and navigate through them effectively. Research indicates that having a written agreement with their healthcare provider enhances an individual's asthma management at home.

Asthma Action Plans can be downloaded for free from Asthma Canada's website.

The steering group of asthma experts from across the country, met in 2022 to systematically identify key topics in the severe asthma care pathway through existing guidance and practice in Canada. This culminated in the creation of 43 consensus statements for testing, then used to develop a Likert questionnaire, which was sent out to health care providers including pulmonologists, allergists, family doctors, nurses, pharmacists, certified respiratory educators, and respiratory therapists.

Respondents were offered a 4-point scale to rate their agreement with each statement, ranging across 'strongly disagree', 'tend to disagree', 'tend to agree' and 'strongly agree'. Completed questionnaires were collated and the individual scores for each statement analyzed to produce an arithmetic agreement score for each.

The responses to consensus statements were analyzed in line with Delphi methodology (a forecasting process and structured communication framework based on the results of multiple rounds of questionnaires sent to a panel of experts). The steering group predefined agreement for consensus at 75%, a widely accepted threshold. Consensus was defined as 'high' at≥75% and 'very high' at≥90%.

The study can be found here.

World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.  WAD is held each May to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide.

SOURCE Asthma Canada