PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - I. Cerveri
AU  - S. Accordini
AU  - A. Corsico
AU  - M.C. Zoia
AU  - L. Carrozzi
AU  - L. Cazzoletti
AU  - M. Beccaria
AU  - A. Marinoni
AU  - G. Viegi
AU  - R. de Marco
ED  - ,
TI  - Chronic cough and phlegm in young adults
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.03.00121103
DP  - 2003 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 413--417
VI  - 22
IP  - 3
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/22/3/413.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/22/3/413.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2003 Sep 01; 22
AB  - The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines underline that the presence of chronic cough and sputum production before airflow obstruction offers a unique opportunity to identify subjects at risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for an early intervention. Current epidemiological data on these subjects are scant. Between 1998–2000, the authors evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of these symptoms by a multicentre cross-sectional survey of Italian people aged between 20–44 yrs from the general population (Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA)). Besides the questions on asthma, more than 18,000 subjects answered the question: “Have you had cough and phlegm on most days for as much as 3 months per year and for at least two successive years?” The adjusted prevalence of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm was 11.9%, being 11.8% in males and 12.0% in females. From these subjects ∼20% reported coexisting asthma and ∼30%, predominately females, were nonsmokers. The survey showed thatsex (female), smoking and low socioeconomic status were significantly and independently associated with chronic cough and phlegm, current smoking playing the major role. The prevalence of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm is startlingly high among young adults. Further follow-up studies are needed to establish how many of them will go on to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This work was partially supported by grants from: Italian Ministry of University Scientific and Technological Research (MURST); GlaxoSmithKline Italia; National Health Service, AUSL Ferrara; National Health Service, AUSL Pavia; National Health Service, ASL 4 Turin; IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo; Municipality of Udine; Councillorship for Health, Modena Province; Pavia Province; Siracusa Province; Veneto Region.