Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Adding LAMA to LABA/ICS is recommended to improve control in patients with persistent asthma. METHODS: This observational, retrospective, before-and-after study considered patients diagnosed with asthma who started LABA/ICS + LAMA treatment (triple therapy, TT) between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018 and had been treated with LABA/ICS (dual therapy, DT) in the year before. Changes in lung function and exacerbation rates, healthcare resource utilization, and healthcare and non-healthcare costs (€2019) were estimated in patients with asthma in clinical practices in Spain. Data from computerized medical records from seven Spanish regions were collected ±1 year of LAMA addition. RESULTS: 4740 patients (64.1 years old [SD: 16.3]) were included. TT reduced the incidence of exacerbations by 16.7% (p < 0.044) and the number of patients with exacerbations by 8.5% (p < 0.001) compared to previous DT. The rate of patients with severe exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroids and their hospitalization rates significantly decreased by 22.5% and 29.5%. TT significantly improved FEV(1), FVC, and FEV(1)/FVC, saving €571/patient for society. Younger patients with asthma (18-44 years old) and patients with severe asthma (FEV(1) < 60%) performed better upon the initiation of TT. CONCLUSIONS: TT reduced asthma exacerbations, improved lung function and reduced healthcare costs vs. DT, particularly in patients requiring systemic corticosteroids to treat severe exacerbations.