Prognosis of adult asthma.

The prognosis of adult asthma is not as well-described as that of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although complete remission is possible, remission rates are low and limited to milder cases. Permanent lung function impairment develops in some asthmatic patients, and this risk is increased in smokers. Longitudinal studies indicate that severe asthma has a poorer prognosis with regard to both development of permanent lung function impairment and hospitalization and mortality. In particular, patients with previous admissions to intensive care units and those with brittle asthma continue to be at high risk of severe asthma complications. Overall, the risk of death in asthmatic subjects is increased to approximately twice that in other subjects due to an increased risk of death from lung diseases. Recent studies suggest that early and continuous treatment with inhaled steroids has beneficial effects, not only on asthma symptoms but also on lung function level, thus substantiating the importance of treating with inhaled steroids according to current guidelines.