FeNo & Spirometry, Important diagnostic & monitoring tools for the Asthmatic patient

PAThere is increasing evidence that asthma is a heterogeneous pathological condition characterized by different phenotypes/endotypes related to specific pathological pathways. Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a biomarker of one pathologic pathway, allergic airway inflammation, that has proven helpful to predict therapeutic response in selected asthmatic populations. FeNO is a quantitative, non-invasive, simple and safe method of measuring allergic airway inflammation that provides a complementary tool to other ways of assessing airway disease in asthma patients including spirometry and as part of the diagnostic algorithm for both children over 5 and adults with respiratory symptoms suggestive of asthma, but has also demonstrated utility for managing asthma and selecting therapies for this disease. A common question is “How do FeNO and spirometry complement each other and why do I need both?”