Johanna Pakkasela1,2, Pinja Ilmarinen3, Jasmin Honkamäki4, Leena E Tuomisto3, Heidi Andersén5, Päivi Piirilä6, Hanna Hisinger-Mölkänen7, Anssi Sovijärvi6, Helena Backman8, Bo Lundbäck9, Eva Rönmark8, Hannu Kankaanranta4,3, Lauri Lehtimäki4,10. 1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, FIN-33521, Tampere, Finland. johanna.pakkasela@tuni.fi. 2. Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. johanna.pakkasela@tuni.fi. 3. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Seinäjoki, Finland. 4. Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. 5. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Vaasa Central Hospital, Vaasa, Finland. 6. Unit of Clinical Physiology, Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 7. Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. 8. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 9. Department of Internal Medicine, Krefting Research Center, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 10. Allergy Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Onset of allergic asthma has a strong association with childhood but only a few studies have analyzed incidence of asthma from childhood to late adulthood in relation to allergy. The purpose of the study was to assess age-specific incidence of allergic and non-allergic asthma. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 8000 randomly selected recipients aged 20-69 years in Finland in 2016. The response rate was 52.3% (n = 4173). The questionnaire included questions on e.g. atopic status, asthma and age at asthma diagnosis. Asthma was classified allergic if also a physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis was reported. RESULTS: The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis were 11.2 and 17.8%, respectively. Of the 445 responders with physician-diagnosed asthma, 52% were classified as allergic and 48% as non-allergic. Median ages at diagnosis of allergic and non-allergic asthma were 19 and 35 years, respectively. Among subjects with asthma diagnosis at ages 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 years, 70, 62, 58, 53, 38, 19 and 33%, respectively, were allergic. For non-allergic asthma, the incidence rate was lowest in children and young adults (0.7/1000/year). It increased after middle age and was highest in older age groups (2.4/1000/year in 50-59 years old). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of allergic asthma is highest in early childhood and steadily decreases with advancing age, while the incidence of non-allergic asthma is low until it peaks in late adulthood. After approximately 40 years of age, most of the new cases of asthma are non-allergic.
BACKGROUND: Onset of allergic asthma has a strong association with childhood but only a few studies have analyzed incidence of asthma from childhood to late adulthood in relation to allergy. The purpose of the study was to assess age-specific incidence of allergic and non-allergic asthma. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 8000 randomly selected recipients aged 20-69 years in Finland in 2016. The response rate was 52.3% (n = 4173). The questionnaire included questions on e.g. atopic status, asthma and age at asthma diagnosis. Asthma was classified allergic if also a physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis was reported. RESULTS: The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis were 11.2 and 17.8%, respectively. Of the 445 responders with physician-diagnosed asthma, 52% were classified as allergic and 48% as non-allergic. Median ages at diagnosis of allergic and non-allergic asthma were 19 and 35 years, respectively. Among subjects with asthma diagnosis at ages 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 years, 70, 62, 58, 53, 38, 19 and 33%, respectively, were allergic. For non-allergic asthma, the incidence rate was lowest in children and young adults (0.7/1000/year). It increased after middle age and was highest in older age groups (2.4/1000/year in 50-59 years old). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of allergic asthma is highest in early childhood and steadily decreases with advancing age, while the incidence of non-allergic asthma is low until it peaks in late adulthood. After approximately 40 years of age, most of the new cases of asthma are non-allergic.
Authors: Anna Karoliina Haarala; Suvi-Päivikki Sinikumpu; Eeva Vaaramo; Jari Jokelainen; Markku Timonen; Juha Auvinen; Juha Pekkanen; Jussi Lampi; Laura Huilaja Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2021-02-19 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Petri Räisänen; Helena Backman; Linnea Hedman; Martin Andersson; Caroline Stridsman; Hannu Kankaanranta; Pinja Ilmarinen; Heidi Andersen; Päivi Piirilä; Anne Lindberg; Bo Lundbäck; Eva Rönmark Journal: ERJ Open Res Date: 2021-07-05