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Background: C1 inhibitor (C1INH) has recently been approved in the USA for the treatment of acute attacks in hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients. The literature suggests that treatment with C1INH is most effective when administered early in an attack. Home infusion of C1INH allows for the earliest possible intervention since patients can initiate therapy at the first sign of symptoms. Methods: We performed an observational, prospective study on 39 subjects with HAE utilizing two groups of patients: one receiving on-demand C1INH replacement therapy in a medical facility and the other self-managing on-demand C1INH replacement therapy in the home setting under the supervision of a treating physician. All subjects completed online questionnaires weekly for 8 weeks. Results: There were statistically significant decreases in attack duration (p < 0.0001), pain medication use (p < 0.0001) and graded attack severity (p < 0.005) in the subjects who received C1INH in the home setting versus the clinic-based group. Attack frequency was similar between the groups. The home group experienced more frequent injection-related side effects; however, the clinic group noted more severe adverse events from C1INH. Conclusion: Physician-supervised self-managed C1INH replacement therapy is a safe and effective treatment for patients with HAE with potential benefits in diminishing attack duration and attack severity. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) typically presents in childhood. Large gaps remain in our understanding of the natural history of HAE during childhood. We examined age of onset, delay in diagnosis, androgen exposure, and their influence on ultimate disease severity in a large cohort of patients with HAE. Median age of first swelling was 11 years with a median age at diagnosis of 19 years. Earlier onset of symptoms correlated with longer delays in diagnosis (P < .001) and predicted a more severe disease course, including increased number of attacks per year (P = .0009) and hospital admissions (P = .009). Earlier age of onset also significantly correlated with increased perceived HAE severity (P = .0002), negative overall life impact (P < .0001), and use of anabolic androgen. Our observations highlight the importance of early HAE diagnosis and suggest the necessity of a disease management plan once the diagnosis has been made., (© The Author(s) 2015.)