Respiratory Care Week: The Growing Role of Biologics in Respiratory Care
From October 25 – 31, we celebrate Respiratory Care Week. During this week we show our appreciation and acknowledge the valuable contributions of respiratory therapists.
The role of respiratory workers, therapists, and practitioners is more vital than ever before. Since the coronavirus pandemic, respiratory therapists have rushed to the aid of patients. Their efforts has helped save countless lives, and through their care, many patients with chronic respiratory illnesses can manage their symptoms, improve their lung function and achieve a better quality of life.
During this week, Altus Biologics would like to thank these unsung heroes for their resilience and dedication to improving the lives of millions of patients across the country.
While the pandemic shined a spotlight on the critical role of respiratory care professionals within our healthcare system, the truth is that for years patients living with a chronic respiratory disease depended on the care and expertise of these medical professionals to improve their quality of life.
Therefore, this week we join the millions of American’s living with chronic respiratory diseases in saying “Thank You” to all respiratory care professionals for the extraordinary work they do.
Watch the Video: Respiratory Care Week: The Growing Role of Biologics in Respiratory Care
Asthma and Allergy Patients Are on the Rise in America
Research shows a disturbing trend among chronic respiratory diseases like asthma. For example, current asthma prevalence rates are increasing at a statistically significant average rate of 0.1 points per year.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, an estimated 8.3% or 26.5 million Americans have asthma. Moreover, asthma accounts for 1.3 million ER visits annually and around 439,000 hospitalizations.
Asthma affects both adults and children. Asthma is the most common chronic condition in children and has a higher prevalence of 9.4% compared to 7.7% in adults.
Although prevalence rates are rising, asthma attack rates are decreasing thanks to medical advances and the increased use of biologic therapies in managing chronic respiratory diseases.
The American Lung Association reports that in 2001, 56.3% of patients with asthma had at least one asthma attack. In 2018, the percentage decreased to 48.2%.
The Role of Biologics in Treating Chronic Respiratory Illnesses
In recent decades the medical community has seen biologics emerge as a critical component of severe asthma management.
In clinical trials, these new therapies have shown significant benefits in targeting T2 inflammation and immunoglobulin E, demonstrating that biologic infusion therapies improve severe asthma-related clinical outcomes.
As promising as these biologic drugs are, they are not for everyone. Only patients who do not respond well to more conventional medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids, are candidates for biologic therapy.
Therefore, inhaled corticosteroids remain the primary treatment course for asthma, along with the valuable therapy provided by respiratory care professionals.
