‘Act don’t react‘. Or more simply ‘don’t postpone what you can do today until tomorrow’. A recommendation that in this case concerns a pathology, such as asthma. It is that is the claim of the campaign of ‘disease awareness‘promoted by GSK, aimed at everyone, regardless of age (http://actdontreact.gsk.com/it-it/), and also reported on the pharmaceutical company’s social networks. Simple, direct, above all free from warnings and feelings of guilt, the campaign, in the opening video, goes straight to the point: “Don’t let asthma symptoms ruin your special moment“This is why it is important to act now and not wait for asthma to make the first move.
“What patients do not want to accept – he explains in a note Oliviero Rossifrom Sod di Immunoallergologia Careggi University Hospital in Florence – is that asthma is a chronic disease and must always be treated, not just when needed. It is not a shame to have asthma and above all it is not an impediment to one’s life. Many top-level athletes suffer from it, several have become Olympic champions. “The most recent surveys tell us that about 3 million Italians – from 5 to 7% of the population – have a diagnosis of bronchial asthma in a more or less severe form . However, adherence to prescribed therapy leaves something to be desired. The data tells us that treatments are not followed regularly by patients. There is a tendency to forget to take therapy when no symptoms are present: 6 in 10 among teenagers and 1 in 2 adults.
“Yes, the numbers are merciless – continues Rossi – The lack of adherence is perhaps to be found in the transitory nature of the symptoms, which induces the patient to disregard the prescriptions. Not knowing that the lack of pharmacological control of the forms defined as persistent can lead to an aggravation of the disease, which manifests itself with more serious and difficult to manage attacks, with consequences on the general state of health and quality of life. They range from dyspnoea, or difficulty in breathing, which can reach the sensation of “hunger for air”, to coughing and “wheezing” along the respiratory tract, which are consequent to the narrowing of the passage of air caused by inflammation . Particular attention should be paid to cough, which in asthma is almost always dry and without mucus production and can represent the first warning sign”.
Asthma is therefore a chronic disease and needs basic treatment. “We are facing inflammation and bronchoconstriction – says Rossi – and the drugs recommended are basically anti-inflammatory drugs (cortisones) and bronchodilators, which can be associated, depending on the severity, with other drugs such as antileukotrienics. However, it is essential to distinguish the different types of asthma, to understand, thanks to innovative tests, which different inflammatory proteins are responsible for the disease and consequently which targeted therapy must be administered for each individual patient “.
“Asthma – continues the specialist – has been a target of personalized medicine since we have the possibility to select patients using biomarkers. Thanks to biomarkers we can identify the mechanism that causes the disease in a given patient. With a precise diagnosis, personalized medicine can guarantee several advantages: the choice of the most effective therapy and the most appropriate inhaler for each patient “.
The campaign – concludes the note from GSK – aims to shake up and invite patients to reflect on how, even for asthma, the future is in their hands. Make the first move to check the disease.