PARIS, September 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Work, social and family life all
affected by severe asthma, many people report feelings of anxiety,
depression and isolation as well
Boston Scientific today revealed results of a comprehensive
survey which shows the true burden of severe asthma and the daily
challenges faced by people with asthma in Europe. Uncovering Asthma, a survey of
over 850 people with severe asthma from across Europe, has found that severe asthma affects a
quarter of the respondents on a daily basis, with a staggering 71%
feeling the negative effects weekly. While the respondents
identified their social life (32%) as the aspect which is most
affected by their asthma, many also mention their working life
(23%), family life (18%) and their sex life (17%) as being affected
too[1]. Leading asthma experts are now calling for
urgent action on how people living with severe asthma are cared for
across Europe.
The survey calls for people with severe asthma to reappraise the
impact their condition is having on their lives, as well as
discussing with their healthcare professional how to better manage
it. Severe asthma affects approximately 1.5 million people in
Europe[2], with some
estimates suggesting nearly a fifth of people with asthma could be
living with the severe form of the condition.[3]
Amongst those surveyed who are working or studying, nearly half
(46%) admitted to having to reduce their hours or take additional
days off as a result of their condition, whilst a quarter believe
having severe asthma has negatively affected their careers, for
example by having to change their role or even leave a
job[1].
"When I was at primary school, I would be in hospital around six
times a year due to severe asthma attacks," said Reah Yarworth, aged 24, from the UK, "It had a
serious effect on my studies and was really worrying for my family.
When I was at school, I struggled to join in any physical education
classes because of my asthma; I wanted to take part and play with
the other children in my class, but it was not possible. I
continued to struggle as I grew up, being unable to join friends on
holiday or go to the gym like other people my age."
People with severe asthma are also often prevented from
undertaking the daily activities we take for granted, such as
simple household chores, gardening or seeing family and friends.
The survey found nearly a quarter of the respondents have been
prevented from seeing friends and family due to asthma
symptoms[1]. The respondents also
report their sex lives are restricted by asthma symptoms, with a
quarter saying asthma impacts this part of their life a great
deal[1]. Male respondents were
significantly more likely (29% vs 18%) to report that their sex
lives are negatively affected by severe asthma.
"It is clear that severe asthma has a profound impact on
people's everyday lives, as the Uncovering Asthma survey findings
show that a third of those surveyed with the condition feel
depressed and over a third report feelings of anxiety," commented
Dr Rob Niven, Senior Lecturer in
Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS
Foundation Trust. "As a healthcare professional, it is also
important to understand that a sizeable proportion of severe asthma
sufferers are not responding to currently prescribed medicines,
which is worrying. Many people who responded to the survey noted
that better controlled symptoms would allow them to be more active,
free and positive about their lives."
There are newer, non-drug treatment options available to treat
severe asthma, one of which is a procedure called Bronchial
Thermoplasty (BT). Bronchial Thermoplasty is a non-drug procedure
for severe asthma in patients 18 years and older. This minimally
invasive procedure is expected to complement conventional asthma
drug treatments, thereby improving symptom control and the quality
of life of patients with severe asthma. Studies have shown
Bronchial Thermoplasty has an excellent long-term safety and
effectiveness profile, with evidence of long-term safety up to at
least five years[4],[5] and
durability of effect up to at least five
years[5],[6].
"The Uncovering Asthma Report helps to highlight the challenges
of managing severe asthma and important real life experiences from
people who have the condition. We hope this report addresses these
challenges for people with severe asthma, their families and loved
ones, as well as the healthcare professionals who help manage this
potentially life-threatening condition on a daily basis," said
Paraic Curtis, vice president of the
MedSurg division of Boston Scientific Europe.
About Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical
solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As
a global medical technology leader for more than 35 years, we
advance science for life by providing a broad range of high
performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce
the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit
http://www.bostonscientific.eu, http://www.uncovering-asthma.co.uk,
connect on Twitter (@uncoverasthma) and Facebook.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like
"anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate,"
"intend" and similar words. These forward-looking statements
are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using
information available to us at the time and are not intended to be
guarantees of future events or performance. These
forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements
regarding our business plans, markets for our products, clinical
trials and data impact, product performance and impact, and
competitive offerings. If our underlying assumptions turn out
to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize,
actual results could vary materially from the expectations and
projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements.
These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future
(together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement
our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ
materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in
this press release. As a result, readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.
Factors that may cause such differences include, among other
things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory
conditions; new product introductions; demographic trends;
intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and
future business decisions made by us and our competitors. All
of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately
and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list
and description of these and other important risks and
uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I,
Item 1A - Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which
we may update in Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors in
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file
hereafter. We disclaim any intention or obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect
any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or
circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may
affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those
contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary
statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained
in this document
--------------------------------------------
1. Uncovering Asthma Survey 2015
2. European Lung White Book. Available online at
http://www.erswhitebook.org/chapters/adult-asthma/ . Last accessed
July 2015
3. S. Wenzel, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2012 (42)
650-658.
4. Thomson N, et al. Long-term (5 year) Safety of Bronchial
Thermoplasty: Asthma Intervention Research (AIR) Trial, BMC
Medicine, 2011.
5. Wechsler M, et al. Benefits of Bronchial Thermoplasty Persist
Out to 5 years in Patients with Severe Asthma, Journal of Asthma
and Clinical Immunology, August
2013
6. Castro M, et al. Persistence of Effectiveness of Bronchial
Thermoplasty Persist Out to 5 years in Patients with Severe Asthma,
Journal of Asthma and Clinical Immunology, August 2013