Meeting the challenges of asthma: conference summary.

Asthma is actually a complex set of wheezing disorders driven by dysregulated inflammation in the airways. The profound redundancy of the inflammatory milieu in the asthmatic airway has resulted in an as yet incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology. Despite tremendous research efforts over the past several decades, defining the asthma phenotype, unraveling its genetics, and accurately diagnosing the condition remain difficult. Application of standardized testing for diagnosis and management of asthma, such that control is maintained and risk of future impairment in the form of exacerbations minimized, is vital. Newer techniques and biomarkers are being developed that may help identify ongoing airway inflammation in a noninvasive and clinically useful fashion. Knowledge of the current treatment armamentarium and its accurate application to maximize effectiveness and reduce risk is also important for all practitioners. New immunomodulatory medications and treatments are being developed that may offer hope for those patients whose asthma is refractory to current treatments. The development and dissemination of new evidence-based guidelines, and strong patient self-management, may help reduce the substantial morbidity suffered by the asthmatic population. This Journal Conference addressed the current state of the art in asthma diagnosis and management.