Addressing Quality of Life, Clinical Outcomes, and Mechanisms in Uncontrolled Asthma Following the DASH Dietary Pattern

The goal of the ALOHA trial is to investigate the efficacy of improved diet quality following a DASH behavioral intervention that has shown promising results in adults with uncontrolled asthma. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This healthy diet is known to help people with high blood pressure manage their health. But physicians do not know if the DASH diet can also benefit patients with uncontrolled asthma. Researchers in the ALOHA study are trying to find out the answer to this important question. Researchers at UIC are studying how 2 asthma care programs compare in terms of helping adults with uncontrolled asthma to improve their quality of life. Researchers also want to learn what might explain the differences in patient outcomes that they may see between the 2 programs. The primary outcome will be asthma-specific quality of life. If the DASH behavioral intervention is found to benefit people with uncontrolled asthma, it would provide a practical, safe, and acceptable public-health intervention in the form of dietary modification to reduce the burden of asthma.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older at study enrollment * Diagnosis of asthma with currently prescribed controller therapy (i.e., Step 2 or above) according to the 2020 asthma guideline update (EPR4) * Uncontrolled asthma on study screening based on Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores \15 lbs during prior 3 months * Active alcohol or substance use disorder (including prescription drugs) based on the CAGE Questionnaire Adapted to Include Drugs (CAGE-AID)68 * Current within the past 6-months or former smoker (more than 20-packs of cigarettes in the lifetime, or current smoker) * Current or planned pregnancy or currently lactating * Planning to move out of the area during the study period * Participation in another clinical trial or investigational treatment study * Family/household member of an already enrolled participant or of a study team member * Investigator discretion for clinical safety or protocol adherence reasons