Tiotropium decreases the risk of exacerbations in patients with symptomatic asthma regardless of baseline characteristics

Rationale: The addition of tiotropium provides bronchodilation and reduces exacerbations in patients with severe asthma. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether this positive effect was limited to definable subgroups of patients. Methods: Eligible patients: were aged 18 – 75 years; had a ≥5-year history of asthma; were diagnosed before the age of 40 years; scored ≥1.5 on the Asthma Control Questionnaire 7; and were life-long non-smokers or ex-smokers (≤10 pack-years) who quit smoking ≥1 year before study enrolment. Patients had experienced ≥1 exacerbation in the previous year. Time to first severe…