Approximately one-third of asthma patients may actually not have the long-term inflammatory disease, according to new research published in JAMA.
For the study, researchers recruited 701 participants across 10 cities in Canada who were diagnosed with asthma in the last five years. Participants were assessed for asthma with objective tests over the course of several visits. Individuals identified as non-asthmatic were issued follow-up tests for more than a year.
Of the 701 initial participants, 613 completed the study. Among them, 203 were determined to be asthma free. In the asthma-free group, 80 percent were taking medications for the condition and 35 percent were using these drugs daily. In most of these cases, it was unclear if the asthma was misdiagnosed, or if it had gone into remission.
Lead researcher Shawn Aaron, MD, a respiratory specialist at Ottawa Hospital in Canada, told HealthDay many of the study participants were diagnosed with asthma without the completion of any objective testing. Nearly 50 percent had been diagnosed based upon symptoms reported and a physician evaluation.
"If someone had possible symptoms of diabetes, a doctor wouldn't say, 'Oh, you have diabetes, here's some insulin,'" said Dr. Aaron, according to HealthDay. "They would order a test of the patient's blood sugar levels."
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