Abstract
Background: Restrictive spirometry (RS) is associated with negative health outcomes. The impact of a RS pattern in asthma is not known.
Aim: To study the characteristics of asthmatics with restrictive spirometry compared to those without.
Method: We used pooled data from the Global Allergy and Asthma Network in Europe (GA2LEN) with 3438 subjects, and from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) with 7017 subjects. Postbronchodilator spirometry values (forced vital capacity(FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1)) were used to define RS as FEV1/FVC ≥lower limit of normal (LLN) and FVC <80% of predicted, and questionnaire results used for asthma status, medication, respiratory symptoms, age, BMI, and smoking history. This was analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: RS was significantly more common among the 1577 asthmatics than the 8878 non-asthmatic (13 vs. 7%, p<0,001). Among asthmatics, RS associated with both obesity (adj. OR=2.1(95% CI 1.1-4.0)) and dyspnoea (adj. OR=1.8(95% CI 1.1-3.0)), use of oral corticosteroid (adj. OR=2.6(95% CI 1.1-6.0)) and increasing age (adj. Coef. 1.04/year, p=0.001) compared to those with a normal spirometry. Atopy was less likely in the RS asthma group than in the one with normal spirometry (adj. OR=0.56(95% CI 0,33-0,95)).
Conclusion: Asthmatics with a restrictive pattern differ from other asthmatics, are more likely to be obese, non-atopic, have a higher symptom burden and higher use of oral corticosteroids. The restrictive pattern among asthmatics may reflect a form of more severe asthma and/or an associated comorbidity.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 4640.
This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2020