Close correlation between anxiety, depression, and asthma control

BACKGROUND: We investigated the correlation between patients' characteristics, including anxiety and depression, and the level of asthma control evaluated by asthma control test (ACT), a self-administered validated questionnaire. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on asthmatic outpatients of three Italian hospitals. Demographic data, spirometry, anxiety and depression scores as well as the level of asthma control from 315 patients were collected. RESULTS: Patients with poorly controlled asthma were more frequently women, older, with a worse pulmonary function, obese, more anxious and/or more depressed. Four different independent factors associated with poor asthma control evaluated by ACT have been found: FEV(1)<60% (odds ratio, OR: 6.52), anxiety (OR: 3.76), age > or =65 years (OR: 2.69), and depression (OR: 2.45). The presence of anxiety and depression was associated with a higher healthcare utilization. Finally, we found a high level of agreement between ACT and multidimensional GINA approach in evaluating asthma control, with a concordance in 239 patients (81% of the population). CONCLUSION: There is a close correlation between anxiety and depression, and a poor asthma. A better understanding of this association may have major clinical implications, mainly in patients with poor controlled asthma in whom the presence of anxiety and depression should be investigated.