The SABINA study of SABA inhaler usage and risk of asthma exacerbations, funded by AstraZeneca, is the largest real-world observational data analysis of asthma inhaler therapy and has evaluated more than one million patients across 40 countries. In addition, at Queen Mary University of London, a study of more than 700,000 patient records evaluated SABA inhaler usage, patterns of prescribing and rates of asthma-related hospitalizations.
New findings from the SABINA study showed SABA inhaler overuse was associated with increased risk of severe exacerbations and a lower likelihood of controlled asthma. Findings were consistent, regardless of country and asthma severity. The Queen Mary University study found overprescribing of SABA inhalers and underutilization of preventative (corticosteroid) inhalers. Researchers also determined that reduction of SABA inhaler usage could result in 70% fewer asthma-related hospital admissions. Future plans include providing tools for GPs and pharmacists to support patients.