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Reduced airway function in early adulthood among subjects with wheezing disorder before two years of age
Author(s) -
Goksör Emma,
Gustafsson Per M,
Alm Bernt,
Åmark Mainor,
Wennergren Göran
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.20798
Subject(s) - bronchodilation , medicine , spirometry , airway , asthma , cohort , risk factor , lung function , cohort study , pediatrics , anesthesia , bronchodilator , lung
Aim To compare airway function in early adulthood in subjects with wheezing in infancy with age‐matched controls and to analyze what accounts for a possible difference. Methods Asthma development has been prospectively studied in 101 children hospitalized due to wheezing before the age of two. The cohort was re‐investigated at age 17–20 years and tested with spirometry and for bronchial hyper‐responsiveness and allergic sensitization. An age‐matched population (n = 294) was used for comparison. Results The cohort had a significantly lower FEV 1 /FVC ratio and MEF 50 , both pre‐ and post‐bronchodilation, compared with the controls, P < 0.01. The reduction in airway function was most evident in current asthmatic female subjects, but a reduced pre‐bronchodilation FEV 1 /FVC ratio was also seen in symptom‐free cohort subjects, P = 0.03. In the multivariate analysis, female gender was the most prominent independent risk factor for reduced airway function in early adulthood, pre‐bronchodilation OR 4.0 (1.4–11.3) and post‐bronchodilation OR 8.8 (1.8–42.0). In addition, a history of early wheezing, that is, belonging to the cohort, was an independent risk factor for reduced airway function pre‐bronchodilation, OR 3.3 (1.3–8.7). Furthermore, there was an association between current bronchial hyper‐responsiveness and an increased risk of reduced airway function post‐bronchodilation, OR 7.3 (2.0–26.6). Conclusion Reduced airway function in early adulthood was found in subjects with wheezing early in life, compared with age‐matched controls. The reduction was most prominent in females with current asthma. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:396–403. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.