Asthma Prevalence among US Elderly by Age Groups: Age Still Matters.
Summary of "Asthma Prevalence among US Elderly by Age Groups: Age Still Matters."
Objective. For over three decades, the greatest burden of asthma deaths has occurred among persons aged 65 years and older. This study analyzed the association between increasing age and asthma prevalence among age groups within the US elderly population. Methods. We analyzed aggregated data on 54,485 civilian, noninstitutionalized US adults aged 65 years and older from the 2001-2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We estimated the prevalence of current asthma, lifetime asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among US elderly by 5-year age groups and age stages ("young elderly" aged 65-84 years and "oldest old" aged ≥85 years). We calculated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to identify asthma prevalence patterns among elderly populations. Results. From 2001 to 2010, the estimated average annual prevalence of current asthma among US elderly was 7.0%. Estimates of lifetime asthma, COPD, and co-occurring current asthma and COPD were 9.9%, 9.7%, and 3.0%, respectively. Prevalence of asthma decreased with advancing age while prevalence of COPD increased with advancing age. When controlling for study variables and significant interactions (p = .05) with COPD, the odds of reporting current asthma decreased with advancing age: 0.87 (95% CI, 0.76-1.01) for 70- to 74-year-olds; 0.76 (95% CI, 0.66-0.87) for 75- to 79-year-olds; 0.62 (95% CI, 0.51-0.75) for 80- to 84-year-olds; and 0.45 (95% CI, 0.36-0.55) for ≥85-year-olds, as compared to 65- to 69-year-olds. Conclusions. Asthma continues to affect a substantial proportion of the US elderly population. Increased diagnosis of COPD may overshadow correct diagnosis and treatment in populations with advancing age. Treatment guidelines should focus on preventable risk behaviors to increase the quality of life within this population.
Affiliation
Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, GA , USA.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
ISSN: 1532-4303
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22765313
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02770903.2012.684252
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Endemic Diseases
The constant presence of diseases or infectious agents within a given geographic area or population group. It may also refer to the usual prevalence of a given disease with such area or group. It includes holoendemic and hyperendemic diseases. A holoendemic disease is one for which a high prevalent level of infection begins early in life and affects most of the child population, leading to a state of equilibrium such that the adult population shows evidence of the disease much less commonly than do children (malaria in many communities is a holoendemic disease). A hyperendemic disease is one that is constantly present at a high incidence and/or prevalence rate and affects all groups equally. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 3d ed, p53, 78, 80)
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Self-help Groups
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