Esmé J Baan1, Emmely W de Roos2, Marjolein Engelkes1, Maria de Ridder1, Lars Pedersen3, Klara Berencsi4, Dani Prieto-Alhambra5, Francesco Lapi6, Melissa K Van Dyke7, Peter Rijnbeek1, Guy G Brusselle8, Katia M C Verhamme9. 1. Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. 3. Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. 4. Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Musculoskeletal Pharmaco- and Device Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 5. Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; GREMPAL Research Group, Idiap Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute, CIBERFES ISCIII, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 6. Health Search, Italian College of General Practitioners and Primary Care, Florence, Italy. 7. Epidemiology, Value Evidence and Outcomes, Global R&D, GSK, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA. 8. Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 9. Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Bioanalysis, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: k.verhamme@erasmusmc.nl.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Asthma can occur at any age but the differences in patient characteristics between childhood-, adult-, and late-onset asthma are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in patients' characteristics by age at asthma onset. METHODS: From 5 European electronic databases, we created a cohort encompassing adult patients with doctor-diagnosed asthma in 2008 to 2013. Patients were categorized based on their age at asthma onset: childhood-onset (age at onset < 18 y), adult-onset (age at onset 18-40 y), and late-onset asthma (age at onset ≥ 40 y). Comorbidities were assessed at study entry. For each characteristic and comorbidity, odds ratios and age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) comparing asthma-onset categories were estimated per database and combined in a meta-analysis using a random effect model. RESULTS: In total, 586,436 adult asthma patients were included, 81,691 had childhood-onset, 218,184 adult-onset, and 286,561 late-onset asthma. Overall, 7.3% had severe asthma. Subjects with adult-onset compared with childhood-asthma had higher risks for overweight/obesity (ORadj 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.8) and lower risks for atopic disorders (ORadj 0.8; 95% CI 0.7-0.95). Patients with late-onset compared with adult-onset asthma had higher risks for nasal polyposis (ORadj 1.8; 95% CI 1.2-2.6), overweight/obesity (ORadj 1.3; 95% CI 1.2-1.4), gastroesophageal reflux disease (ORadj 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.7), and diabetes (ORadj 2.3; 95% CI 1.8-2.9). A significant association between late-onset asthma and uncontrolled asthma was observed (ORadj 2.8; 95% CI 1.7-4.5). CONCLUSIONS: This international study demonstrates clear differences in comorbidities between childhood-, adult-, and late-onset asthma phenotypes in adults. Furthermore, patients with late-onset asthma had more frequent uncontrolled asthma.
BACKGROUND: Asthma can occur at any age but the differences in patient characteristics between childhood-, adult-, and late-onset asthma are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in patients' characteristics by age at asthma onset. METHODS: From 5 European electronic databases, we created a cohort encompassing adult patients with doctor-diagnosed asthma in 2008 to 2013. Patients were categorized based on their age at asthma onset: childhood-onset (age at onset < 18 y), adult-onset (age at onset 18-40 y), and late-onset asthma (age at onset ≥ 40 y). Comorbidities were assessed at study entry. For each characteristic and comorbidity, odds ratios and age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) comparing asthma-onset categories were estimated per database and combined in a meta-analysis using a random effect model. RESULTS: In total, 586,436 adult asthma patients were included, 81,691 had childhood-onset, 218,184 adult-onset, and 286,561 late-onset asthma. Overall, 7.3% had severe asthma. Subjects with adult-onset compared with childhood-asthma had higher risks for overweight/obesity (ORadj 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.8) and lower risks for atopic disorders (ORadj 0.8; 95% CI 0.7-0.95). Patients with late-onset compared with adult-onset asthma had higher risks for nasal polyposis (ORadj 1.8; 95% CI 1.2-2.6), overweight/obesity (ORadj 1.3; 95% CI 1.2-1.4), gastroesophageal reflux disease (ORadj 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.7), and diabetes (ORadj 2.3; 95% CI 1.8-2.9). A significant association between late-onset asthma and uncontrolled asthma was observed (ORadj 2.8; 95% CI 1.7-4.5). CONCLUSIONS: This international study demonstrates clear differences in comorbidities between childhood-, adult-, and late-onset asthma phenotypes in adults. Furthermore, patients with late-onset asthma had more frequent uncontrolled asthma.