Extract
Cough is an essential defence mechanism [1]. However, chronic cough is a significant cause of morbidity, seriously impairing quality of life [2]. Previously, chronic cough was considered a consequence of various diseases, such as asthma/eosinophilic bronchitis, rhinitis and gastro-oesophageal acid reflux disease [3, 4]. Recent evidence, however, suggests that chronic cough is a clinical syndrome with distinct intrinsic pathophysiology characterised by neuronal hypersensitivity [5–7]. Here, we estimated the worldwide epidemiological burden of chronic cough irrespective of putative diagnosis in general adult populations using a comprehensive systematic literature review.
Abstract
Chronic cough has a high global epidemiological burden. A standard definition would facilitate further studies. http://ow.ly/HPCnw
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the help of GlaxoSmithKline (UK) in providing data translation assistance. We also wish to acknowledge the statistical advice from Soyeon Ahn (Division of Statistics, Medical Research Collaborating Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea).
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: None declared.
- Received September 23, 2014.
- Accepted December 24, 2014.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015