[Asthma in the elderly]

Clinical, functional, and inflammatory characteristics of asthma among adults aged over 60 years old: a case-control study

ObjectiveThis observational case-control study analyzed the clinical, functional, inflammatory profile, and treatment data of a cohort of patients with asthma who were followed up at the outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital.MethodsPatients who visited the clinic between January 2008 and February 2020 and diagnosed with asthma according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria were included in the study. Patients were broadly classified into two groups: age <60 or age ≥60 years. The patients were evaluated for asthma control and severity, medications used, comorbidities, smoking status, occurrence of exacerbation, spirometry at the first and last visits, sputum cytology, allergic prick test, and inflammatory cytokine levels.ResultsPatients over 60 years of age had lower asthma control test (ACT) scores, required higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids to achieve asthma control and had worse lung function with fixed airway obstruction, higher number of comorbidities, greater exposure to tobacco, and longer outpatient follow-up than younger patients with asthma. Furthermore, older patients presented with neutrophilia and higher levels of TNFα in the induced sputum as compared to younger patients.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that patients aged ≥60 years of age had a more severe asthma profile and poorer lung function than younger patients with asthma. Furthermore, aging, long-term asthma, comorbidities, and tobacco exposure contributed to an accelerated decline in lung function.

Knowledge of asthmatic disease as a pneumonia protective factor

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether knowledge of asthmatic disease may be a protective factor against the risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in people with asthma over the age of 18 who receive inhaled treatment.

METHOD

observational study of cases and controls in a population with asthma. One hundred and twenty-three people with asthma diagnosed with pneumonia were recruited according to clinical and radiological criteria (cases), and 246 people with asthma not diagnosed with pneumonia during the past year (controls), matched by age. The main study factor was the assessment of knowledge about asthmatic disease through an ad hoc questionnaire, with seven questions and two possible answers (known, unknown).

RESULTS

the bivariate analysis shows that knowledge of asthmatic disease has a statistically significant association as a protective factor of CAP. In the multivariate analysis, it shows an association of knowledge of asthmatic disease as a protective factor of CAP (OR=.24), regardless of age, level of studies, functionality, and severity of asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

A good knowledge of asthmatic disease reduces the risk of CAP in asthmatic patients using inhaled treatment.

The impact of aging on outpatients with asthma in a real-world setting

BACKGROUND

Asthma is characterized by airway inflammation and bronchial hyperreactivity. It is conceived that aging may affect asthma characteristics, but this issue is still not completely clarified in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigated whether aging may affect some clinical and functional factors in outpatients with asthma visited in a real-world setting, such as clinical practice.

METHODS

Globally, 391 outpatients (163 males, median age 47 years) with asthma were consecutively evaluated. The following parameters were assessed: history, including, smoking, comorbidity, and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) use, physical examination, body mass index (BMI), lung function, level of asthma control, asthma control test (ACT), and fractional exhaled NO (FeNO).

RESULTS

The elderly with asthma had: more frequently not controlled asthma, higher BMI, higher ICS dosages, more impaired lung function, including plethysmographic parameters, than adult asthmatics (p < 0.001 for all, but p = 0.002 for RV and p = 0.008 for FRC). Elderly asthmatics were also less frequently allergic (p < 0.001) and had less rhinitis comorbidity (p < 0.001) and less nasal symptoms (p < 0.05) than younger asthmatics.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study conducted in a real-world setting shows that aging significantly affects asthma, mainly concerning asthma control, lung function, and steroid-sensitivity.

Effects of omalizumab in severe asthmatics across ages: A real life Italian experience

BACKGROUND

This retrospective study aimed at evaluating long-term effects of Omalizumab in elderly asthmatics in a real-life setting.

METHODS

105 consecutive severe asthmatics (GINA step 4-5; mean FEV₁% predicted:66 ± 15.7) treated with Omalizumab for at least 1 year (treatment mean duration 35.1 ± 21.7 months) were divided into 3 groups according to their age at Omalizumab treatment onset: 18-39, 40-64 and ≥ 65 years.

RESULTS

Comorbidities, number of overweight/obese subjects and patients with late-onset asthma were more frequent among older people. A similar reduction of inhaled corticosteroids dosage and SABA on-demand therapy was observed in all groups during Omalizumab treatment; a similar FEV₁ increased was also observed. Asthma Control Test (ACT) improved significantly (p < 0.001) in the three groups, increasing from 15 [IQR:12-18] to 24 [IQR:22-25] in younger subjects, from 14 [IQR:10-16] to 21 [IQR:20-23] in the 40-64-year-group and from 15 [IQR:12-16] to 20 [IQR:18-22] in elderly patients where improvement was lower (p = 0.039) compared to younger people. Asthma exacerbations decreased significantly after Omalizumab but the percentage of exacerbation-free patients was higher in younger people (76.9%) compared to middle aged patients (49.2%) and the elderly (29%) (p = 0.049). After Omalizumab treatment, the risk for exacerbations was lower in subjects aged 40-64 (OR = 0.284 [CI95% = 0.098-0.826], p = 0.021) and 18-39 (OR = 0.133 [CI95% = 0.026-0.678], p = 0.015), compared to elderly asthmatics. Also, a significantly reduced ACT improvement (β = -1.070; p = 0.046) passing from each age class was observed.

CONCLUSION

Omalizumab improves all asthma outcomes independently of age, although the magnitude of the effects observed in the elderly seems to be lower than in the other age groups.