Self-Reported Physician Diagnosed Asthma with COPD is Associated with Higher Mortality than Self-Reported Asthma or COPD Alone - A Prospective 24-Year Study in the Population of Helsinki, Finland

Level of Education Modifies Asthma Mortality in Norway and Sweden. The Nordic EpiLung Study

Background and Aim

The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), asthma and mortality is complex and multifaceted, and it is not established if educational level modifies the association between asthma and mortality. The aim was to study the association between asthma and mortality in Sweden and Norway and to what extent educational level modifies this association.

Participants and Methods

Within the Nordic EpiLung Study, >56,000 individuals aged 30-69 years participated in population-based surveys on asthma and associated risk factors in Sweden and Norway during 2005-2007. Data on educational level and 10-year all-cause mortality were linked by national authorities. The fraction of mortality risk attributable to asthma was calculated, and Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for mortality related to asthma, stratified by educational level.

Results

In total, 5.5% of all deaths was attributed to asthma. When adjusted for potential confounders, the HR for mortality related to asthma was 1.71 (95% CI 1.52-1.93). Those with primary level of education had higher hazard of all-cause death related to asthma than those with tertiary level (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.48-2.18, vs HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.99-1.95).

Conclusion

Asthma was associated with an overall 71% increased all-cause mortality and 5.5% of deaths can be attributed to asthma. Educational levels modified the risk of mortality associated with asthma, with the highest risk among those with primary education.

Occupational exposure to vapors, gasses, dusts, and fumes in relation to causes of death during 24 years in Helsinki, Finland

PURPOSE

Environmental particulate matter (PM) exposure has been shown to cause excess all-cause and disease-specific mortality. Our aim was to compare disease-specific mortality by estimated occupational exposure to vapors, gasses, dusts, and fumes (VGDF).

METHODS

The data source is the Helsinki part of the population-based FinEsS study on chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases including information on age, education level, main occupation, sex, and tobacco smoking combined with death registry information. We compared estimated VGDF exposure to mortality using adjusted competing-risks regression for disease-specific survival analysis for a 24-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Compared to the no-exposure group, the high occupational VGDF exposure group had sub-hazard ratios (sHR) of 1.7 (95% CI 1.3-2.2) for all cardiovascular-related and sHR 2.1 (1.5-3.9) for just coronary artery-related mortality. It also had sHR 1.7 (1.0-2.8) for Alzheimer's or vascular dementia-related mortality and sHR 1.7(1.2-2.4) for all respiratory disease-related mortality.

CONCLUSION

Long-term occupational exposure to VGDF increased the hazard of mortality- to cardiovascular-, respiratory-, and dementia-related causes. This emphasizes the need for minimizing occupational long-term respiratory exposure to dust, gasses, and fumes.

Mortality of asthma, COPD, and asthma-COPD overlap during an 18-year follow up

BACKGROUND

We studied asthma, COPD, and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) to predict mortality in a cohort of Finnish adults with an 18-year follow up.

METHODS

A national health examination survey representing Finnish adults aged ≥30 years was performed in 2000-2001. The study cohort included 5922 participants (73.8% of the sample) with all relevant data, including a comprehensive clinical examination and spirometry. These participants were followed continuously from baseline until end of 2018 for total, cardiovascular, cancer, and respiratory mortality through a record linkage. Asthma, COPD, and ACO were defined based on the survey data, including spirometry and register data. There were three separate groups of obstructive subjects (one definition excluding the others).

RESULTS

Asthma and COPD were significantly associated with higher total mortality in Cox's model adjusted for sex, age, smoking, education level, BMI, leisure time physical activity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for asthma, COPD, and ACO were 1.29 (1.05-1.58), 1.50 (1.20-1.88), and 1.26 (0.97-1.65), respectively. Additionally, asthma (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.09-1.97) and COPD (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.08-2.16) were associated with cardiovascular mortality. Although ACO did not predict mortality in the whole cohort, there was a significant association with mortality risk among those with hs-CRP 1-2.99 mg/l.

CONCLUSIONS

Asthma or COPD predicts higher total mortality and premature death from cardiovascular diseases.

Mortality Associated With Occupational Exposure in Helsinki, Finland-A 24-Year Follow-up

OBJECTIVES

Our objective was to study mortality related to different obstructive lung diseases, occupational exposure, and their potential joint effect in a large, randomized population-based cohort.

METHODS

We divided the participants based on the answers to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnoses and occupational exposure and used a combined effects model and compared the results to no asthma or COPD with no occupational exposure.

RESULTS

High exposure had a hazards ratio (HR) of 1.34 (1.11-1.62) and asthma and COPD coexistence of 1.58 (1.10-2.27). The combined effects of intermediate exposure and coexistence had an HR of 2.20 (1.18-4.09), high exposure with coexistence of 1.94 (1.10-3.42) for overall mortality, and sub-HR for respiratory-related mortality of 3.21 (1.87-5.50).

CONCLUSIONS

High occupational exposure increased overall but not respiratory-related mortality hazards, while coexisting asthma and COPD overall and respiratory-related hazards of mortality.

Does the asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS) exist? A narrative review from epidemiology and practice

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have traditionally been approached as separate entities that must be researched and treated separately. There is growing recognition, however, that a substantial proportion of patients with obstructive lung disease have characteristics of both asthma and COPD (termed the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS)). Lung disease experts have difficulty defining ACOS, and many still resist accepting the possibility that asthma and COPD may be linked. It is likely that practicing clinicians may be equally confused about how to identify and treat ACOS. This narrative review aims to clarify concepts of ACOS definition, argues that the best way to understand ACOS is to view the chronic lung disease process longitudinally rather than cross-sectionally, and presents evidence that ACOS can be the end result of the natural history of severe asthma. The review also points out the serious gaps in knowledge regarding therapy for ACOS and presents emerging data supporting the intracellular respiratory pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae as a possible common etiologic agent in severe asthma and ACOS.