Add on Acebrophylline and QoL in Smoker Asthmatics

Aims and Objectives: The present study was carried out to assess whether smoking alters quality of life (QoL) in asthma patients and if so, can it be counteracted by add on acebrophylline in them.

Material and Methods: One hundred fifty smokers and 75 non-smoker, adult asthma patients, of either sex were enrolled for the study. Smoker patients were further divided in 2 groups. Test group I (TG1) patients received “Add on acebrophylline” along with inhaled corticosteroids(ICS) and long acting beta 2 agonists (LABA) but test group II (TG2) patients received “Add on placebo” along with inhaled ICS and LABA. Nonsmoker asthma patients served as controls and received drugs similar to TG2 patients. Control of asthma and Quality of life (QoL) in them was assessed using mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini AQLQ) and Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) on Day 0, Day 15 and Day 30.

Results: It was observed that cough was more common but nasal allergies were less common, in smokers as compared to nonsmoker asthma patients. Further, the mean forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1)as well as the mean mini AQLQ scores were lower and the mean ACQ scores, higher in smoker asthma patients as compared to their nonsmoker counterparts (P<0.05), indicating that QoL was impaired by smoking in them. With treatment, all the 3 parameters showed significantly higher improvement in TG1 as compared to TG2 (P<0.05). Further, higher number of TG1 patients had well controlled asthma and QoL (ACQ score=0.00 to 0.75) as compared to TG2 patients (P<0.0001). No serious adverse reaction occurred in any of the patient receiving add on acebrophylline. Control nonsmoker patients showed comparable improvements, even without add on acebrophylline.

Conclusion: Smoking adversely impacts QoL in asthma patients and add on acebrophylline is capable of counteracting the same.

Keywords: Smoker asthma patient, Non-smoker asthma patient, Acebrophylline, Quality of life (QoL).