Abstract
Introduction: Asthma is important cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly.There are significant effects of long standing inflammation on airway obstruction and remodeling.This study aims to compare clinical characteristics of early and late-onset elderly asthmatics.
Method: A retrospective study was conducted in 116 elderly asthmatics admitted to Fatih University,Dept of Chest between January 2008-2011. Onset of asthma was the year when dyspnea firstly appear (cut-off age for onset; 65).
Results: Mean age of patients was 73±6.2years and 23of them were male. 21.6% of patients were smoker. 19% of patients had allergic rhinitis. 3.4% of the patients had complete asthma control.Main systemic disease was hypertension (69.8%). There were 48 early-onset and 68 late-onset asthmatics. Cough (2.7 (95%CI:1.2-5.8)and sputum production (3.3 (95%CI:1.5-7.7)were more frequent in late onset asthmatics. Medications were rarely prescribed (0.07 (95%CI:0.02-0.19) in late-onset asthmatics. Theophylline (0.18 (95%CI: 0.04-0.89)and salbutamol (0.21 (95%CI: 0.07-0.65)were rarely used in late-onset asthma (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Desired clinical outcomes may be more difficult to achieve in elderly asthmatics due to comorbid conditions, cognitive and financial status.Chronic cough with sputum is not unusual in elderly with asthma, although it is usually associated with smoking, chronic bronchitis, and several conditions in late-onset asthmatics. Risk of adverse effects of treatment increases with increasing age and often limits choice and frequency of medications; moreover theophylline and salbutamol are rarely prescribed to patients with late-onset asthma. Future studies may give better understanding of etiopathogenesis of early and late-onset asthma.
- © 2011 ERS
