Abstract
Objectives
To characterize and address the determinants of the long-term change in current asthma.
Methods
The analysis was conducted on 388 subjects (151 children and 237 adults) with current asthma when recruited in the Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA) and with available current asthma status at the 12-yr and 20-yr follow-ups.
Current asthma was defined as reporting ever asthma and either asthma attacks or asthma treatment in the past 12m. Baseline characteristics (sex, age, age at asthma onset, skin prick tests (SPT) to 11 allergens, FEV1%pred and asthma severity) were compared between subjects with “persistent current asthma” (current asthma at each point) and those with “intermittent current asthma”.
Results
Children with persistent current asthma (n=80) were more often girls. Adults with persistent current asthma (n=167) were older, had earlier onset asthma, a lower baseline FEV1 and more severe asthma at baseline. These associations remained significant in age and sex adjusted models. No association was found with SPT.
Conclusion
Persistent current asthma was associated with female gender in children and with earlier age at onset, lower baseline lung function and higher asthma severity in adults.
Grants:Inserm Itmo sante publique, FRSR, PHRC 2012.
- © 2014 ERS