Brittany Duchene, MD

Both asthma and depression are common diseases in the United States. There is evidence that depressive symptoms may affect asthma control based on prior studies. Those people with depression have been found to have worse asthma control. It is important to understand the relationship between these two diseases to better understand how to treat asthma effectively. We will use previously collected data from three different clinical trials of patients with asthma who also completed a depressive symptom survey to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and asthma. We will also investigate whether the influence of depressive symptoms on asthma are different in people of different races, sex and socioeconomic status. In addition, we will assess whether commonly used asthma medications could potentially worsen depressive symptoms. This information could guide a future clinical trial addressing depressive symptoms in asthma.