People suffering from allergies are constantly increasing, but above all they are increase the duration of symptoms and the number of allergies for each individual patient (polysensitization). Allergies, not to be confused with food intolerances which exclusively affect the digestive system, are a problem for the 25% of Veronese. The spring period is the most critical because in addition to Gramineae, Birch, Parietaria and Olive trees also pollinate. This means not only an increase in patients but above all a lengthening of the period with disorders (no longer just May-June but February-October) and therefore longer and more complicated therapies.
ASTHMA – Seasonal allergy is the main cause of an important pathology such as bronchial asthma. A pathology that concerns 8% of Veronese and for which early diagnosis is important when the first symptoms appear to avoid delays in treatment. The appropriately treated patient can in fact lead a normal and active life, including sporting activity. The case ofsevere asthma, which represents 3% of total asthmatics, and which is treated with new therapies. These are biological drugs that act directly on the bronchial inflammatory process instead of cortisone, they are high-cost hospital drugs and must be managed directly by the specialist doctor with personalized medicine. Around 200 patients are cared for by the Asma center in Borgo Roma.
RARE DISEASE – Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare form of systemic vasculitis, often presenting with worsening of severe asthma. It is a disease characterized by inflammation and necrosis of the blood vessel wall with an increase in eosinophils in the blood. It is not very widespread but has an extremely significant impact on the patient’s life, not only from a respiratory point of view. In Borgo Roma, of the 200 patients in the Asma center, approximately 50 are being treated for systemic vasculitis.
Present at the press conference organized by the Integrated University Hospital of Verona were: Dr. Claudio Micheletto, director of the Uoc Pneumology; Professor Gianenrico Senna, director of the Allergology and Asthma Center; Dr. Marco Caminati, university researcher in the center directed by Professor Senna, specialized in rare diseases, and organizer of the event on Saturday 4 May.
FREE “HEALTH COURSE” SCREENING – The first stage of the national awareness campaign starts from Verona on Saturday 4 May at the Borgo Roma polyclinic. From 9am to 11am, free screening of the population with medical consultations and the possibility of undergoing a spirometry test; from 11am to 1pm conference which will take place in the Aula Vecchioni – Lente Didattica, floor 0, and which will address the themes of the campaign through the interventions of specialists from the Asma center of Verona. Finally, at 1.30pm the race will start throughout the city, starting the “relay” which will ideally hand over the project to the reference center of the next stage. Info and reservations on https://percorsadisalute.it/.
“PerCORSA di salute” is an awareness, prevention and information project dedicated to patients with chronic respiratory diseases, their families and the general population. Divided into 11 days of meetings at selected hospital centers throughout Italy, the initiative is conceived and promoted by Respiriamo Insieme – Aps, in collaboration with APACS APS and in partnership with Cittadinanzattiva and UNIAMO. In addition to Verona, the other cities are Milan, Novara, Cuneo, Turin, Genoa, Florence, Pisa and Rome.
AOUI MULTIDISCIPLINARY GROUPS – There are two active ones in Aoui for global patient care. The group for the treatment of severe asthma, coordinated by Professor Senna, is the clinical network made up of various specialists (allergist, ENT specialist, immunologist, pulmonologist) for constant monitoring. The second group is coordinated by Professor Piacentini and deals with the “transition” from pediatric age up to 14 years to taking charge in Pneumology. It concerns above all the adolescent phase in which these patients are guaranteed care through consultation between specialists.
«There is a positive message that needs to be spread regarding asthma – said Dr. Micheletto -. If diagnosed early and above all correctly treated, this pathology allows the vast majority of people to lead a normal life. Young people can participate in competitive sports, and for everyone there is the opportunity to live an active life. Among those who think of staying on the sofa without therapy and those who do sports while taking drugs, we obviously prefer the second path. This is because the diagnostic approach has substantially improved and there is no longer a huge delay in diagnosis, as long as the patient remains adherent to the therapy. In fact, asthma is a disease with crises and long periods of well-being. It often happens that during the period of well-being, treatments tend to be abandoned and this represents the critical point of lack of adherence. Lately we have biological therapies even for the most serious forms of asthma, which previously were forced to be treated with cortisone.”
Professor Senna added: «Over the years, cases of allergies and asthma have increased in Verona, many rhinitis which represent a risk factor for the development of asthma. Allergies must be treated and, from a study we did with Padua, it emerged that the maximum pollen peak was not, as we expected, in the winter period but in the spring period. Furthermore, polysensitivities have increased, the same person has sensitizations to multiple pollens, therefore with disorders that last from February to October. I repeat that in the case of allergic asthma it is important to practice sport which is healthy physical activity against obesity, which is a risk factor for asthma. The case of patients with severe asthma is different, for which giant strides have been made with biological therapies that have changed people’s lives. These new treatments are a success of the multidisciplinary group with Dr. Micheletto because the interaction is absolutely fundamental in the definition of the pathology and in the choice of the biological. In Verona this type of collaboration is particularly advanced, because it is not limited only to the problem of asthma but covers, for example, other pathologies from the most common ones such as nasal polyps to the rarer ones such as the problem of some rare diseases who need more specialists.”
«Despite a limited epidemiological dimension, the impact of systemic vasculitis is extremely relevant. It is therefore important to remain alert about its diagnosis, particularly in cases of severe asthma with worsening evolution. Early diagnosis is fundamental and for this reason we have organized, together with associations of patients with chronic lung diseases, including this rare disease, the day of Saturday 4 May with free screening for the population”, concluded Dr. Caminati.
