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Severe Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways associated with airflow obstruction. Although therapy controls the disease in the majority of patients, it is recognised that a subgroup of asthmatics, approximately 10%, show reduced responsiveness to standard therapy, experience greater morbidity and a lower quality of life than those asthmatics whose disease is adequately controlled by therapy. Despite the use of high doses of inhaled and oral corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, this group suffer airflow obstruction that is either non-reversible or at best, difficult to reverse.

Source: European Respiratory Journal 2003 22:470-477