Ethnic variation in South East Asian patients with severe asthma: A first look at the Singapore Severe Asthma Registry (SSAR) and implications on clinical practice.

BACKGROUND

Real world severe asthma registries in Asia are limited but important for understanding severe asthma in Asian populations.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the characteristics of a multi-ethnic cohort in the Singapore Severe Asthma Registry (SSAR), and examine differences between the 3 major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay and Indian).

METHODS

Adult patients with severe asthma from 4 public hospitals in Singapore were enrolled into SSAR. The registry collected anonymized data including demographics, asthma control, comorbidities, investigations, and medication use.

RESULTS

254 patients were recruited between 2022 and 2024. Patients were predominantly female (55.9 %) and Chinese (57.5 %). Median number of exacerbations in the past year was 2 (0-3); 61 patients (24 %) had ≥1 emergency department visit and 94 (37 %) had ≥1 hospital admission. 97.5 % of patients had a type 2 high inflammatory profile. 21.7 % and 17.7 % of patients were on biologics and maintenance oral corticosteroids, respectively. Ethnic differences were observed: Non-Chinese patients had the lowest Asthma Control Test scores (Chinese 18 ± 5, Malay 16 ± 5, Indian 16 ± 5, p = 0.011); Non-Chinese patients were more likely to have obesity (Chinese 17.7 %, Malay 50.9 %, Indian 40.9 % p < 0.001); Indian patients were most likely to have diabetes mellitus (Chinese 16.6 %, Malay 18.2 %, Indian 38.6 %, p = 0.006)) while Chinese patients were most likely to have osteoporosis (Chinese 14.5 %, Malay 0 %, Indian 2.3 %, p = 0.001). Cluster analysis identified 4 distinct clusters with different comorbidity profiles and exacerbation outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This study provided the first look into data from the Singapore Severe Asthma Registry; ethnic differences were observed, especially in comorbidity risks.