What is it about?

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation, bronchial reversible obstruction and hyperresponsiveness to direct or indirect stimuli. It is a severe disease causing approximately half a million deaths every year and thus possessing a significant public health burden. Stroke is the second leading cause of death and a major cause of disability worldwide. Asthma and asthma medications may be a risk factors for developing stroke. Nevertheless, since asthma is associated with a variety of comorbidities, such as cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory, the increased incidence of stroke in asthma patients may be due to a confounding effect. The purpose of this review is to analyze the complex relationship between asthma and stroke.

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Why is it important?

This narrative review comprises the main pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke development in asthma patients, thus analyzing the complex relationship between these two entities. It summarises the main risk factors, as well as, prevention measures that can be further implemented in medical practice. It is a well-structured resume about current knowledge concerning stroke risk in asthma patients, management strategies and new developing opportunities in treatment and prophylaxis of stroke in asthma patients.

Perspectives

Writing this article gave us the opportunity to summarise the existing data concerning stroke development in asthma patients, both entities possessing a significant public health burden. This review has also figures with a holistic perspective on the pathogenesis of stroke and how specific asthma phenotypes, even asthma treatment could lead to stroke development. It also gives an insight into the future strategies of management and asthma control, as well as stroke prevention in this particular group of patients.

Iuliana Stratan
Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Victor Babes din Timisoara

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This page is a summary of: Asthma and stroke: a narrative review, Asthma Research and Practice, February 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1186/s40733-021-00069-x.
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