Despite guideline directed therapy, asthma exacerbations remain difficult to anticipate, often leading to preventable emergency visits and hospitalizations. Reliable biomarker for early risk stratification are still lacking in routine practice.
Study findings
A study published within the last 24 hours in Nature Communications identified a circulating sphingolipid to steroid ratio as a strong predictor of future asthma exacerbations. Across large, independent cohorts, this metabolic marker outperformed conventional clinical indicators and remined predictive after adjustment for lung function, demographics, and treatment status.
Clinical or research implications
If prospectively validated, this blood based marker could enable earlier intervention in high risk patients and stimulate further research into immune metabolic mechanisms underlying airway instability.