RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Assessment of chronic bronchitis and risk factors in young adults: Results from BAMSE
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 2002120
DO 10.1183/13993003.02120-2020
A1 Gang Wang
A1 Jenny Hallberg
A1 Petra Um Bergström
A1 Christer Janson
A1 Göran Pershagen
A1 Olena Gruzieva
A1 Marianne van Hage
A1 Antonios Georgelis
A1 Anna Bergström
A1 Inger Kull
A1 Anders Lindén
A1 Erik Melén
YR 2020
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/09/17/13993003.02120-2020.abstract
AB Background Chronic bronchitis is associated with substantial morbidity among elderly adults, but little is known about its prevalence and risk factors in young adults. Our aim was to assess the prevalence and early life risk factors for chronic bronchitis in young adults.Methods Questionnaire data and clinical measures from the 24-year follow-up of the Swedish BAMSE cohort were used. We assessed chronic bronchitis (CB) as the combination of cough and mucus production in the morning during winter. Environmental and clinical data from birth and onwards were used for analyses of risk factors.Results At the 24-year follow-up, 75% (n=3064) participants completed the questionnaire and 2030 performed spirometry. The overall prevalence of CB was 5.5% (n=158) with similar estimates in males and females. Forty-nine percent of CB cases experienced more than 3 self-reported respiratory infections in the last year compared to 18% in non-CB subjects (p<0.001), and 37% of cases were current smokers (versus 19%). Statistically significant lower post-FEV1/FVC were observed in CB compared to non-CB subjects (mean z-score −0.06 versus 0.13, p=0.027). Daily smoking (adjusted Odds Ratio, aOR=3.85, p<0.001), air pollution exposure (black carbon during ages 1–4 years old, aOR=1.71 per 1 μg·m3 increase, p=0.009) and exclusive breast-feeding during four months or more (aOR=0.66, p=0.044) were associated with CB.Conclusion Chronic bronchitis in young adults is associated with recurrent respiratory infections. Besides smoking, our results support role of early life exposures, such as air pollution and exclusive breast-feeding, for respiratory health later in life.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Hallberg has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Bergström has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Janson has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Pershagen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Gruzieva has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. van Hage reports personal fees from Thermo Fisher Scientific and ALK, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Georgelis has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Bergström has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Kull has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Lindén has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Melén has nothing to disclose.