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Elderly And Aged Asthma Have Different Characteristics: Results Of A Multicenter Study, Ebru Damadoğlu, Özge Öztürk Aktaş, Bilun Gemi̇ci̇oğlu, Nafiye Yilmaz, Fulşen Bozkuş, Vehbi Ayhan, Ayşe Füsun Kalpaklioğlu, Ferda Öner Erkekol, Yavuz Havlucu, Fuat Erel, Ömür Aydin, Aydanur Eki̇ci̇, Ayşe Baççioğlu, Serap Argun Bariş, Gözde Köycü Buhari̇, Berrin Ceyhan, Özlem Göksel, Mehmet Köse, Adile Berna Dursun, Füsun Yildiz, Arzu Yorgancioğlu, Sacide Rana Işik, Dane Edi̇ger, İpek Kıvılcım Oğuzülgen, Ahmet Uğur Demi̇r, Gül Karakaya, Ali Fuat Kalyoncu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Characteristics of asthma in the elderly population is not well-known. The aim of the present study was to evaluateasthma in the elderly population, to compare disease characteristics between patients diagnosed <60 (aged asthma) and ≥60 (elderlyasthma) years of age.Materials and methods: The study was a prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional type. A questionnaire was filled out to patients 60years of age and over, that have been followed for asthma for at least 3 months. Asthma Control Test (ACT), eight-item MoriskyMedication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was filled out, inhaler device technique was assessed.Results: A total of 399 patients were included from 17 tertiary care centers across the country. Mean age was 67.11 years and 331 (83%)were female. The age at asthma diagnosis was ≥60 in 146 (36.6%) patients. Patients diagnosed ≥60 years were older (p < 0.001), hadhigher education level (p < 0.001), more commonly had first-degree relative with asthma (p = 0.038), asthma related comorbidities(p = 0.009) and accompanying rhinitis/rhinosinusitis (p = 0.005), had better asthma control (p = 0.001), were using less controllermedications (p = 0.014). Inhaler technique was correct in 37% of the patients with no difference in between the groups. Treatmentcompliance was better in elderly asthma patients (p < 0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, having well-controlledasthma (odds ratio = 1.61, CI = 1.04–2.51), and high medication adherence rate (odds ratio = 2.43, CI = 1.48–4.0) were associated withbeing in the elderly asthma group.Conclusion: The characteristics of asthma are different among patients aged 60 years and over which seems to be related to onset age ofasthma. In our cohort, the elderly asthma patients had higher education level, and treatment adherence and asthma control was better.Patients diagnosed ≥60 years of age did not have more severe disease.