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Adulthood asthma after wheezing in infancy: a questionnaire study at 27 years of age
Author(s) -
Ruotsalainen M.,
PiippoSavolainen E.,
Hyvärinen M. K.,
Korppi M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02212.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , pediatrics , bronchiolitis , overweight , allergy , respiratory sounds , risk factor , population , obesity , immunology , respiratory system , environmental health
To cite this article: Ruotsalainen M, Piippo‐Savolainen E, Hyvärinen MK, Korppi M. Adulthood asthma after wheezing in infancy: a questionnaire study at 27 years of age. Allergy 2010; 65 : 503–509. Abstract Background: Wheezing in early childhood is a heterogeneous condition, the long‐term prognosis varying from total recovery to chronic asthma. Though short‐term outcome has been actively studied, there is lack of data on long‐term outcome until adulthood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of asthma at 26–29 years of age after early‐life wheezing. Methods: At the median age of 27.3 years (range 26.3–28.6), a questionnaire was sent to 78 study subjects hospitalized for wheezing at <24 months of age, and 59 (76%) answered. Asthma, allergy and weight status were compared with selected controls followed up from birth and with non‐selected population controls recruited for this adulthood study. Results: Doctor‐diagnosed asthma was present in 20% of the former bronchiolitis patients, compared with 5% in the two control groups (OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.3–17.9 vs selected controls; OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.7–15.8 vs nonselected controls). The respective figures for current self‐reported asthma were 41% and 7–10% (OR 11.4, 95% CI 2.3–56.1 vs selected controls; OR 12.2, 95% CI 4.4–33.7 vs nonselected controls). Current allergic rhinitis and current smoking were significantly associated with asthma, but current overweight or obesity was not. In multivariate analyses, early‐life wheezing was an independent risk factor of adulthood asthma. Conclusion: An increased asthma risk in early‐life wheezers continues, even after many symptom‐free years at school age, at least until 27 years of age.