Is asthma in the elderly different? Functional and clinical characteristics of asthma in individuals aged 65 years and older

Abstract

Background The prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly (> 65 years), including asthma, is growing, yet information available on asthma in this population is scarce.Our objective is to determine the differential clinical and functional characteristics of the population > 65 years old with asthma included in the Integrated Research Programs of Asthma Databank of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (www.bancodatosasma.com). Methods Retrospective comparative descriptive study of demographic, clinical and functional variables for 1713 patients with asthma categorized into 3 age groups as follows: adults aged < 65 years (A), younger elderly aged 65-74 years (B) and older elderly aged ≥75 years (C). Results Predominant features of elderly patients with asthma (N = 471) were the female sex, fewer smokers, greater obesity, poorer lung function, and lower values of nitric oxide in exhaled air (p < 0.01). The most frequently associated comorbidity was gastroesophageal reflux. The highest doses of inhaled corticosteroids were by group A (60.8%). For the sample overall, 23.2% (N = 398) were being treated with omalizumab and 8.2% (N = 140) were corticosteroid-dependent (10.6% in group B). The highest percentage of patients receiving antileukotriene agents was in group B (42.9%). Conclusions Asthma in adults aged> 65 is more severe and associated with greater comorbidity, which would indicate the need for a more integrated and multidimensional approach to asthma treatment for these patients.