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Bronchial thermoplasty delivered by the Alair System uses thermal energy to reduce the airway smooth muscle associated with airway constriction in asthma patients. The results of the AIR2 Trial, published in the January 15, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM) found that in the year following BT, severe asthma patients treated with the Alair System experienced the following benefits:
The Alair System is a catheter-based device used in BT procedures to treat severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older whose asthma is not well controlled with medications. The product is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been available in the U.S. since mid-2010. While many private insurers have approved BT on a case-by-case basis, the coverage policies from Priority Health and HealthPartners are the first to include their full memberships, totaling about 2 million people.
Asthma is one of the most common and costly diseases in the world. The prevalence of asthma has grown in recent decades, and there is no cure. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 24 million Americans have asthma. Managing asthma consumes more than $18 billion of healthcare resources each year in the U.S. Uncontrolled asthma results in approximately 14 million unscheduled physician office visits, 1.75 million emergency rooms visits, 456,000 hospitalizations, and 3,400 deaths annually in the United States. Approximately five percent of Americans suffering from asthma are diagnosed with severe persistent asthma.
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SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation