PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Linda Ekerljung
AU  - Roxana Mincheva
AU  - Bo Lundbäck
AU  - Jan Lötvall
TI  - Different risk factor pattern for allergic and non-allergic asthmatics selected from a random population
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA4210
DP  - 2016 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA4210
VI  - 48
IP  - suppl 60
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA4210.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA4210.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2016 Sep 01; 48
AB  - Background Allergic and non-allergic asthma are well-known phenotypes. They usually respond differently to treatment and inhaled corticosteroids are often less effective in non-allergic asthma. Thus, it is likely that they have different pathophysiological mechanisms and different risk factors. The aim was to identify risk factors that distinguish allergic from non-allergic asthma.Methods A sub-sample selected from responders to a postal questionnaire sent to a random population sample, was invited for an extensive interview and clinical examinations. Current asthma was classified as allergic (AA) or non-allergic (NAA) based on specific-IgE-value to 11 aeroallergens above 0.35 IU. In total, 667 asthmatics were included in the analyses, 410 with AA and 257 with NAA. Symptoms, clinical characteristics and risk factors were investigated. Risk factors were assessed using adjusted logistic regression.Results NAA presented with more respiratory symptoms and more often had uncontrolled asthma according to ACT and GINA. They were older (55 vs 44 years), more often women (72 vs 52%), obese (33 vs 21%), had a later onset of disease (30 vs 16 years), had a lower FEV1% predicted (88 vs 96%) and more often had FEV1/FVC < 0.7 (30 vs 17%). Using AA as reference, female gender (OR 2.4), rheumatic disease (OR 3.2), severe respiratory infection during childhood (OR 1.8) and older age of onset (OR 4.7 for 30-40 yrs, OR 12.8 for 40-50 yrs and OR 7.6 for > 50 yrs, as compared to <7 yrs) were risk factors of NAA.Conclusion Among asthmatics selected from a random population cohort a distinct difference in risk factor pattern was discovered between allergic and non-allergic asthma.