Publications by authors named "Bilun Gemicioglu"

Introduction: We aimed to understand predictors of moderate-to-severe asthma exacerbations and high short-acting β-agonist (SABA) use in adults with asthma newly initiating single-inhaler twice-daily inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β-agonists (ICS/LABAs) in England.

Methods: This non-interventional, longitudinal, retrospective study used medical record data (Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum; Hospital Episode Statistics) in England. Eligible patients with diagnosed asthma were ≥ 18 years old 12 months before the first observed single-inhaler twice-daily ICS/LABA prescription date (December 1, 2017-March 31, 2019).

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Background And Research Question: We aimed to assess whether levels of digital biomarkers can reflect monthly patterns of asthma control.

Study Design And Methods: We performed a longitudinal study on patients with asthma and comorbid rhinitis who filled ≥26 days of data in a month in the MASK-air® app and who reported at least 1 day of treatment with an inhaled corticosteroid with or without a long-acting β-agonist (ICS ± LABA). We applied k-means cluster analysis to define clusters of months according to daily asthma control and medication use.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to detect small airway pathologies in cleaning workers at an early stage by impulse oscillometry (IOS).

Methods: The study was cross-sectional and involved 121 cleaning workers and 123 controls between September 2022 and January 2023.

Results: Airway disease-related measurements (R5%, R20 %, R5-20%, AX, Fres) determined by IOS were statistically significantly higher in cleaning workers.

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Background: Asthma affects over 260 million people globally, with significant health impacts. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2024 report recommends inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β-agonist (ICS/LABA) combinations, including fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FP/SAL) and budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FOR), for maintenance treatment. Both combinations have demonstrated clinical benefits, with previous clinical trials and real-world studies showing comparable asthma control with FP/SAL and BUD/FOR.

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Introduction: Considerable overlaps exist between asthma phenotypes and the clinical significance of these overlaps remains undetermined. The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of asthma overlap phenotypes using data from the Turkish Adult Asthma Registry (TAAR).

Methods: This cross-sectional registry study included 2053 adult patients (74.

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Objective: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) presented considerable challenges to health services, particularly for a routine assessment method, the pulmonary function tests (PFTs), which can generate aerosols and require sharing common surfaces. Despite these risks, there is a need to continue testing, especially for vulnerable patient groups.

Material And Methods: An online survey was conducted from June 1 to June 26, 2020, to assess pulmonologists’ practices regarding PFTs before and during the pandemic’s first peak in Türkiye (March 11-May 20, 2020).

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Background: Allergic rhinitis may impair work productivity. This study aimed to assess (i) the differential impact of allergic rhinitis symptoms on work performance, assessed by means of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) work; and (ii) the effect of asthma comorbidity on work productivity.

Methods: We assessed data from the MASK-air mHealth app of patients with allergic rhinitis.

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Background: Adherence to rhinitis treatment has been insufficiently assessed. We aimed to use data from the MASK-air mHealth app to assess adherence to oral antihistamines (OAH), intra-nasal corticosteroids (INCS) or azelastine-fluticasone in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Methods: We included regular European MASK-air users with self-reported allergic rhinitis and reporting at least 1 day of OAH, INCS or azelastine-fluticasone.

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Objective: The obese-asthma phenotype has gradually increased in the last few years. We aimed to assess the differences between obese and non-obese patients with asthma.

Methods: This research is a subanalysis of the Turkish Adult Asthma Registry (TAAR).

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Rhinitis is a common comorbidity in patients with asthma. However, the frequency of underreported rhinitis in asthma is not known. In this study, we aimed to assess the characteristics of patients with self-reported asthma and no self-reported rhinitis, as well as the extent of the underreporting of rhinitis.

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Background: Asthma is one of the most common causes of chronic respiratory disease, and countries with low socioeconomic status have both a high prevalence of asthma and asthma-related death.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine socioeconomic levels of asthmatic patients according to a national database and investigate the effects of social markers on disease control in our region.

Methods: This is an analysis of data from 2053 adult asthma patients from a multicentre chart study in Turkey.

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Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) approved for the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis, is widely used, though real-world data on its application in asthma management remain limited. This registry-based study evaluated the use of montelukast in adult asthma patients, examining demographic and disease characteristics, asthma control status, asthma phenotypes, presence of atopy, and treatment regimens. Among 2053 patients analyzed, 61.

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Current guidelines recommend adding long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) in patients with uncontrolled asthma, despite the use of moderate to high doses of inhaled steroid-long-acting beta agonists (ICS/LABA). This study aims to analyze the factors related to the prescription of add-on LAMA in clinical practice for asthma patients, shedding light on physicians' preferences. This study included adult asthma patients on add-on LAMA and ICS/LABA monitored for at least one year in a national registry comprising 2053 asthmatics.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are tools that help assess a patient's health at a specific time and are important for personalized healthcare.
  • - The paper reviews the use of visual analog scales (VAS) for measuring asthma and allergic rhinitis control, particularly focusing on the MASK-air app, which includes electronic VAS forms.
  • - A randomized controlled trial was conducted to validate the electronic VAS, and further evaluations confirmed the effectiveness of VAS questions and additional medication scores for allergic asthma symptoms.
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Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) has a substantial socioeconomic impact associated with impaired work productivity.

Objective: To study the impact of AR on work productivity and estimate the corresponding indirect costs for 40 countries.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using direct patient data from the MASK-air app on users with self-reported AR.

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Background/aim: There is limited information on the pathologic changes in the small airways among obese and nonobese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Impulse oscillometry (IOS) measures airway resistance and reactance independently of patient effort. This study aimed to compare airway resistance in small airways using IOS between obese and nonobese patients with OSAS.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The traditional healthcare approach often overlooks patients' personal experiences and strengths, focusing mainly on disease treatment. Person-centered care aims to align medical decisions with individual values and preferences, particularly for those with chronic conditions.
  • - This paper seeks to enhance care for rhinitis and asthma by developing digital care pathways and incorporating real-world evidence to create a more patient-centered approach.
  • - Key components of the review include advancements in mHealth, the integration of artificial intelligence, a novel classification system for airway diseases, and proposals for the ARIA 2024 guidelines, all targeting a sustainable and applicable healthcare model.
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Background/aim: Characteristics of asthma in the elderly population is not well-known. The aim of the present study was to evaluate asthma in the elderly population, to compare disease characteristics between patients diagnosed <60 (aged asthma) and ≥60 (elderly asthma) years of age.

Materials And Methods: The study was a prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional type.

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Rationale: It is unclear how each individual asthma symptom is associated with asthma diagnosis or control.

Objectives: To assess the performance of individual asthma symptoms in the identification of patients with asthma and their association with asthma control.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed real-world data using the MASK-air app.

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Introduction: Patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) have a greater disease burden than those with COPD or asthma alone. In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical features of ACO because there are limited national data in Türkiye.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted in a cross-sectional design in nine tertiary-care hospitals.

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Background: In allergic rhinitis and asthma, adolescents and young adult patients are likely to differ from older patients. We compared adolescents, young adults and adults on symptoms, control levels, and medication adherence.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study (2015-2022), we assessed European users of the MASK-air mHealth app of three age groups: adolescents (13-18 years), young adults (18-26 years), and adults (>26 years).

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Objectives: Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a type of oscillation technique that measures the input impedance (Z) of the respiratory system and can be used to detect pathological changes in the small airways at an early stage. Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects the vascular and parenchymal structures in the lung, chronic postinfection coughs also may be attributed to small airway pathologies. Our research aimed to use IOS for the assessment of the presence of small airway resistance (R) in patients who have had COVID-19.

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Introduction of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) has been the cornerstone of the long-term management of asthma. ICSs either alone or in combination with long-acting beta-2 agonists have been shown to be associated with favorable asthma outcomes. However, asthma control is still reported to be below expectations all around the world.

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Eight million Ukrainians have taken refuge in the European Union. Many have asthma and/or allergic rhinitis and/or urticaria, and around 100,000 may have a severe disease. Cultural and language barriers are a major obstacle to appropriate management.

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Objectives: Impulse oscillometry (IOS) can demonstrate small airways disease even when spirometry values are normal. However, it is unknown if the absence of symptoms excludes increased small airways resistance in asthma patients. We aimed to correlate symptoms (assessed through visual analogue scales) with measures of small airways resistance in patients with asthma and to determine whether less symptomatic patients have increased small airways resistance.

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