Adults with asthma experience more non-respiratory illnesses than adults without asthma

According to a study published in , adults with asthma experienced more non-respiratory and multimorbid illnesses than adults without asthma. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

The types of these disorders vary, but their frequency increases with age at diagnosis of asthma, Jasmine HongkamäQi, MD, Written by academic researchers and colleagues from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.

Researchers examined 8,199 responses to the FinEsS questionnaire sent to 16,000 people aged 20 to 69 in Finland in 2016 (median age 50, 44.9% male).

Respondents included 879 who reported having a physician-diagnosed asthma. Of her 842 respondents who reported age at diagnosis of asthma, 29.1% received an early diagnosis (age 0-11 years), 42.5% intermediate diagnosis (age 12-39 years), and 28.4% late diagnosis (age 40-69 years). Respondents with asthma had a younger median age than those without asthma (47 vs. 50; P. = .006).

The questionnaire asked about COPD, allergic rhinitis, asthma medication use, and 14 non-respiratory diseases.

Most of these diseases were more common in asthma patients, even when researchers excluded patients with COPD.

Hypertension was the most common disease, with the highest rates among those without asthma (18.9%) and those with late diagnosis (42.3%). followed by obesity17.5% in early-diagnosed asthma patients and 21.1% in intermediate-diagnosed asthma.

Overall, intermediate- and late-stage patients diagnosed with asthma had significantly more GERD, depression, sleep apnea, painful conditions, and obesity than patients without asthma.

Similarly, patients with intermediate diagnosis of asthma had more anxiety or panic disorders than those without asthma, and patients with late diagnosis of asthma were more likely to have hypertension, severe cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and diabetes.

The majority of asthma patients had one or more non-respiratory diseases (58.7% vs 47%; P. < .001), the highest number among the late-diagnosed asthma group. In age-adjusted analyses, 12.1% of patients with intermediate-stage asthma diagnosis and 36.2% of patients with late-stage asthma diagnosis had 3 or more non-respiratory diseases, was 10.4% in patients without (P. both < .001).

Age- and sex-adjusted multivariate dichotomous logistic regression analyzes showed that asthmatics and non-asthmatics were more likely to have GERD, COPD, and one or more respiratory diseases at any age in the diagnostic category. was significantly higher.

Compared with individuals without asthma, GERD was the most common disease in patients with early-diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.93; 95% CI, 1.17-3.19), and osteoporosis was the most common in patients with intermediate diagnosis. disease was seen (OR = 3.45). 95% CI 2.01-5.91) and late diagnosis (OR = 2.91; 95% CI 1.77-4.79) asthma.

When the researchers adjusted the regression analysis by COPD, smoking, and BMI in addition to age and sex, the association between late-diagnosed asthma and hypertension, severe cardiovascular disease, and diabetes was lost.

Overall, adults with asthma experienced more non-respiratory illnesses and multimorbidity than those without asthma, and adjusted analyzes found that older age at asthma diagnosis was associated with higher numbers of non-respiratory illnesses. more than when diagnosed at a younger age.

A better understanding of comorbidities may lead to more comprehensive and individualized treatments that enhance control of asthma, the researchers wrote, adding that studies of adult asthma have shown that these He added that it should be pointed out more easily.