Thorax

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
[Advanced]

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this link to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Add article to my folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chinn, S
Right arrow Articles by Wjst, M
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chinn, S
Right arrow Articles by Wjst, M
Topic Collections
Right arrowRelevant Article
Thorax 2004;59:646-651
© 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Thoracic Society


ASTHMA

Increase in diagnosed asthma but not in symptoms in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey

S Chinn1, D Jarvis1, P Burney1, C Luczynska1, U Ackermann-Liebrich2, J M Antó3, I Cerveri4, R de Marco5, T Gislason6, J Heinrich7, C Janson8, N Künzli2,9, B Leynaert10, F Neukirch10, J Schouten11, J Sunyer3, C Svanes12, P Vermeire13, M Wjst7

1 Department of Public Health Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 3QD, UK
2 Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, CH 4051 Basel, Switzerland
3 Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08009 Barcelona, Spain
4 Division of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS "San Matteo" Hospital, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
5 University of Verona, Department of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Statistics, 8-37134 Verona, Italy
6 Department of Allergy, Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, University Hospital (E7), 105 Reykjavik, Iceland
7 Institute of Epidemiology, GSF—National Research Center for Environment and Health, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
8 Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, University of Uppsala, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
9 Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-9013, USA
10 INSERM—The French Institute of Health and Medical Research, Unit 408–Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine X Bichat, 75870 Paris Cedex 18, France
11 Department of Health Sciences, University of Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
12 Department of Medicine, Haraldsplass Hospital, 5009 Bergen, Norway
13 University of Antwerp (Campus Drie Eiken), B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor S Chinn
Department of Public Health Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 3QD, UK; sue.chinn{at}kcl.ac.uk

Background: Information on the epidemiology of asthma in relation to age is limited and hampered by reporting error. To determine the change in the prevalence of asthma with age in young adults we analysed longitudinal data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 11 168 randomly selected subjects in 14 countries in 1991–3 when they were aged 20–44 years and 5–11 years later from 1998 to 2003. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate net change in wheeze, nocturnal tightness in chest, shortness of breath, coughing, asthma attacks in the last 12 months, current medication, "diagnosed" asthma, and nasal allergies.

Results: Expressed as change in status per 10 years of follow up, subjects reporting asthma attacks in the previous 12 months increased by 0.8% of the population (95% CI 0.2 to 1.4) and asthma medication by 2.1% (95% CI 1.6 to 2.6), while no statistically significant net change was found in reported symptoms. Reported nasal allergies increased, especially in the youngest age group.

Conclusions: As this cohort of young adults has aged, there has been an increase in the proportion treated for asthma but not in the proportion of those reporting symptoms suggestive of asthma. Either increased use of effective treatments has led to decreased morbidity among asthmatic subjects or those with mild disease have become more likely to label themselves as asthmatic.


Keywords: asthma; incidence; remission; prevalence; ECRHS


Relevant Article

Airwaves
Wisia Wedzicha
Thorax 2004 59: 637. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
BMJHome page
P. I Frank, J. A Morris, M. L Hazell, M. F Linehan, and T. L Frank
Long term prognosis in preschool children with wheeze: longitudinal postal questionnaire study 1993-2004
BMJ, June 21, 2008; 336(7658): 1423 - 1426.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Int J EpidemiolHome page
J. Douwes and N. Pearce
Commentary: The end of the hygiene hypothesis?
Int. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2008; 37(3): 570 - 572.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Occup. Environ. Med.Home page
K Radon, U Gerhardinger, A Schulze, J-P Zock, D Norback, K Toren, D Jarvis, L Held, J Heinrich, B Leynaert, et al.
Occupation and adult onset of rhinitis in the general population
Occup. Environ. Med., January 1, 2008; 65(1): 38 - 43.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ThoraxHome page
N. Pearce, N. Ait-Khaled, R. Beasley, J. Mallol, U. Keil, E. Mitchell, C. Robertson, and and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group
Worldwide trends in the prevalence of asthma symptoms: phase III of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)
Thorax, September 1, 2007; 62(9): 758 - 766.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ThoraxHome page
R. Shaaban, B. Leynaert, D. Soussan, J. M Anto, S. Chinn, R. de Marco, J. Garcia-Aymerich, J. Heinrich, C. Janson, D. Jarvis, et al.
Physical activity and bronchial hyperresponsiveness: European Community Respiratory Health Survey II
Thorax, May 1, 2007; 62(5): 403 - 410.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Trop PediatrHome page
D. Sole, K. C. Melo, I. C. Camelo-Nunes, L. S. Freitas, M. Britto, N. A. Rosario, M. Jones, G. B. Fischer, and C. K. Naspitz
Changes in the Prevalence of Asthma and Allergic Diseases among Brazilian Schoolchildren (13-14 years old): Comparison between ISAAC Phases One and Three
J Trop Pediatr, February 1, 2007; 53(1): 13 - 21.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ThoraxHome page
R Gupta, A Sheikh, D P Strachan, and H R Anderson
Time trends in allergic disorders in the UK
Thorax, January 1, 2007; 62(1): 91 - 96.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Occup. Environ. Med.Home page
J Sunyer, D Jarvis, T Gotschi, R Garcia-Esteban, B Jacquemin, I Aguilera, U Ackerman, R de Marco, B Forsberg, T Gislason, et al.
Chronic bronchitis and urban air pollution in an international study
Occup. Environ. Med., December 1, 2006; 63(12): 836 - 843.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
S. Chinn, S. H. Downs, J. M. Anto, M. W. Gerbase, B. Leynaert, R. de Marco, C. Janson, D. Jarvis, N. Kunzli, J. Sunyer, et al.
Incidence of asthma and net change in symptoms in relation to changes in obesity
Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2006; 28(4): 763 - 771.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Obstet GynecolHome page
I. Hendler, M. Schatz, V. Momirova, R. Wise, M. Landon, W. Mabie, R. B. Newman, J. Kiley, J. C. Hauth, A. Moawad, et al.
Association of Obesity With Pulmonary and Nonpulmonary Complications of Pregnancy in Asthmatic Women.
Obstet. Gynecol., July 1, 2006; 108(1): 77 - 82.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
N. C. Smeeton, R. J. Rona, M. Oyarzun, and P. V. Diaz
Agreement between Responses to a Standardized Asthma Questionnaire and a Questionnaire following a Demonstration of Asthma Symptoms in Adults
Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2006; 163(4): 384 - 391.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
C. Janson, R. de Marco, S. Accordini, E. Almar, M. Bugiani, A. Carolei, L. Cazzoletti, I. Cerveri, A. Corsico, E. Duran-Tauleria, et al.
Changes in the use of anti-asthmatic medication in an international cohort
Eur. Respir. J., December 1, 2005; 26(6): 1047 - 1055.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
D. Van Sickle
Perceptions of asthma among physicians: an exploratory study with the ISAAC video
Eur. Respir. J., November 1, 2005; 26(5): 829 - 834.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Int J EpidemiolHome page
U. Bollag, G. Capkun, J. Caesar, and N. Low
Trends in primary care consultations for asthma in Switzerland, 1989-2002
Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2005; 34(5): 1012 - 1018.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Int J EpidemiolHome page
N. Pearce and J. Douwes
Commentary: Asthma time trends--mission accomplished?
Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2005; 34(5): 1018 - 1019.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Occup. Environ. Med.Home page
M Medina-Ramon, J P Zock, M Kogevinas, J Sunyer, Y Torralba, A Borrell, F Burgos, and J M Anto
Asthma, chronic bronchitis, and exposure to irritant agents in occupational domestic cleaning: a nested case-control study
Occup. Environ. Med., September 1, 2005; 62(9): 598 - 606.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
G. B. Marks
Identifying asthma in population studies: from single entity to a multi-component approach
Eur. Respir. J., July 1, 2005; 26(1): 3 - 5.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Fam PractHome page
P. C Hannaford, J. A Simpson, A. F. Bisset, A. Davis, W. McKerrow, and R. Mills
The prevalence of ear, nose and throat problems in the community: results from a national cross-sectional postal survey in Scotland
Fam. Pract., June 1, 2005; 22(3): 227 - 233.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ThoraxHome page
S K Weiland and N Pearce
Asthma prevalence in adults: good news?
Thorax, August 1, 2004; 59(8): 637 - 638.
[Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
Terms and conditions relating to subscriptions purchased online  ¦  Website terms and conditions  ¦  Privacy policy
Copyright © 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Thoracic Society