We need to improve the treatment options available to people with asthma and ensure that everyone with asthma receives the best and most appropriate treatments.
Asthma UK researchers are working hard to discover how to support people with asthma and ensure they receive the best possible care.
For example, Dr Monica Lakhanpaul is investigating why children from South Asian families are more likely to be admitted to hospital than white children and how this situation can be improved.
Other researchers are investigating how to help doctors distinguish between people who need encouragement and advice to help them take control of their asthma, and those whose only option is to try a newer asthma treatment.
For many people with severe, difficult-to-treat asthma, the problem is that current asthma treatments simply aren’t effective enough.
Asthma UK scientists are working to create more selective, powerful treatments, or add-ons that make existing treatments more effective.
Professor Chris Brightling and a team of colleagues are currently scouring a database of information provided by people with severe asthma to understand the range of experiences and physical problems they are affected by. In future, this will help doctors pick the best possible combination of treatments of each person.
Doctors also need to know exactly what to look out for in young children to prevent as many of them as possible from developing asthma, and to give those who do develop asthma the most effective treatment. Dr Sejal Saglani in London is working hard to make this a reality.
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