The systematic use of metabolomic epidemiology, biobanks, and electronic medical records for precision medicine initiatives in asthma: findings suggest new guidelines to optimize treatment
Abstract The application of large-scale metabolomic profiling provides new opportunities to realize the potential of omics-based precision medicine with regard to asthma. We leveraged over 14,000 individuals from four distinct epidemiological studies. We identified and independently replicated seventeen steroid metabolites that were significantly reduced in individuals with prevalent asthma. Importantly steroid levels were reduced among all individuals with asthma regardless of medication use; however, the largest reduction was associated with inhaled corticosteroids use (ICS) that was further confirmed in a four-year ICS clinical trial. Cortisol levels extracted from electronic medical records confirmed that cortisol is reduced among asthmatics taking ICS over the entire 24-hour period, compared with all other groups. Clinical-grade adrenal suppression in asthmatics on ICS, resulting from substantial reductions in steroid metabolites, represents a larger public health problem than previously recognized. Regular cortisol testing may identify at-risk individuals, enabling personalized treatment modifications and improving overall patient care.