EMJ 5.2 2020

Severe asthma (SA), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) are three conditions driven by IL-5 and eosinophilic inflammation. As these conditions have high use of healthcare services, as well as lifestyle and psychological burdens, well-tolerated treatment to achieve optimal control is key.

Setting the scene, Bakris defined CKD as a reduction in kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), alongside the presence of albuminuria (≥30 mg/day) as an indication of kidney damage.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a frequent, severe, adverse haematological complication of myelosuppressive and immunosuppressive cytotoxic chemotherapy treatment.

An estimated 65 million people worldwide have moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term used to describe a group of progressive lung diseases that obstruct airflow such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking contributes to an estimated 90% of COPD cases, as the harmful chemicals produced during tobacco combustion damage the lungs and airways. Although smoking cessation is the only intervention shown to improve COPD prognosis in smokers, many patients who try to quit continue to smoke.