Using Exercise-testing to Explore Patient Differences in Severe Asthma

The goal of this observational pilot study is to use exercise-testing to assess patients with severe asthma who have high levels of breathlessness and compare them to other groups of patients with low levels of breathlessness. We will compare the background and overall fitness levels in all groups. This may provide new knowledge to why these patients remain breathless despite being on treatment with low levels of inflammation. The main question we aim to answer is: "How are these patients different compared to patients who respond to treatment?" We will look at reasons why patients with low levels of inflammation in their lungs are still breathless despite being on treatment. Participants will be required to take part in a 6-month study were they will firstly attend a "study visit" and a 6 month follow up. At the study visit participants will be consented and required to: * Complete questionnaires on their symptoms * Provide information on their background * Undergo a physical examination * Provide blood and urine samples for specific testing for asthma and future investigations * Perform breathing tests * Undergo an exercise-test on a treadmill During this study, researchers will compare this group will to participants who are similar but whose symptoms respond to treatment. We will also look at other groups of asthma patients who have who have different levels of inflammation in their lungs to see if there are any differences. We predict, these patients will have a different background and features to those whose symptoms respond to treatment.

NCT Number	NCT05733143
Lead Sponsor	Queen's University, Belfast Collaborators: Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Conditions	Asthma
Enrollment	64 participants
Start Date	2023-07-18
Primary Completion	2025-11-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-11-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-07-25