Adolescents left behind: underrepresentation in asthma randomised controlled trials

Published Date: 22nd October 2025

Publication Authors: McNamara. C

Abstract
To guide adolescent asthma management, evidence of treatment efficacy and safety is needed. We searched multiple databases for randomised control trials (RCTs) of pharmaceutical asthma therapies recruiting adolescents and adults between 2015 and 2023 to ascertain the proportion of adolescents recruited. 81 RCTs were identified, with 49 (60.5%) not reporting the number/proportion of adolescents recruited. Where the proportion of adolescents was reported, this ranged between 1% and 49% (median 6.1%). Only 7 (8.6%) trials reported adolescent subgroup data. In published asthma RCTs, it is frequently unclear whether adolescents have been recruited, with the proportion low when reported. Consideration is needed when using this data to manage adolescent asthma.

 

Nuttall, AG; McNamara, C et al. (2025). Adolescents left behind: underrepresentation in asthma randomised controlled trials. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 9(1), p.e003905. [Online]. Available at: https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/9/1/e003905 [Accessed 30 October 2025]

 

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