Defining Minimal Clinical Disease Activity and Remission in Severe Asthma: A Modified Delphi Consensus.

In 30 seconds

This systematic literature review and modified Delphi consensus sought to standardize definitions of minimal clinical disease activity and remission in severe asthma. A respiratory healthcare professional steering committee developed draft statements, reviewed them in two rounds, and obtained one further review from a wider healthcare professional group. The resulting definitions include criteria for asthma exacerbations, steroid use, lung function, and quality of life. The authors present these definitions as a starting point for disease management and call for validation in real-world settings; the abstract reports no quantitative clinical outcomes.

Key findings

• Consensus definitions for minimal clinical disease activity and remission were developed through a systematic review and modified Delphi process.
• Both definitions include criteria for exacerbations, steroid use, lung function, and quality of life.
• The authors state that the proposed definitions require validation in real-world settings.

Why it matters

Standardized targets could help clinicians and researchers describe treatment outcomes consistently in severe asthma, where remission may not be achievable for every patient. Including a less stringent minimal-disease-activity state recognizes that meaningful disease control may fall short of remission. The proposed criteria provide a framework, but their usefulness in practice depends on further validation.

What to keep in mind

The definitions are consensus-based and, as the authors note, have not yet been validated in real-world settings.