| 1. |
- Ställberg, Björn, et al.
(författare)
-
Living with asthma in Sweden - The ALMA study
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 97:7, s. 835-843
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Recently performed studies have found a number of limitations in the daily lives of asthmatics, and a large disparity between the perception of the sufferers and what health care professionals believe matters to asthmatics. Aim: What matters to Swedish asthma patients, what medicines do they use, and are they compliant with given prescriptions? A further aim was to compare perceptions about asthma and asthma management in asthmatics and among Swedish general practitioners (GP). Design: A structured telephone interview of a representative sample of Swedish asthmatics, and a mailed questionnaire survey among GPs from different parts of Sweden. Methods: Screening by telephone of a random sample of 10,350 subjects aged 18-45. Of those, 240 were subsequently selected for a detailed structured telephone interview about their asthma. A mailed structured questionnaire containing similar questions to those asked of the asthmatics was sent to 600 GPs, and 139 returned completed answers. Results: 16% of the asthmatics reported (asthma) symptoms occurring every day during the previous month. Nocturnal symptoms at least twice per week were reported by 19%. Both these were reported by considerably higher proportions of the asthmatics than the GPs had expected. A large majority classified their disease as mild or very mild, although great majority reported frequent symptoms. Activities or situations which caused symptoms of asthma often or "now and then" were physical exertion, 67%, bad weather, 59%, contact with animals/pets, 58%, and visits to cafés or restaurants, 36%, and several asthmatics avoided these activities due to their asthma. Conclusion: A great majority of asthmatics report a large number of symptoms and limitations in their daily living in proportions which were roughly expected by the GPs. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 2. |
- Lundbäck, Bo, et al.
(författare)
-
Not 15 But 50% of smokers develop COPD?—Report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Studies
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 97:2, s. 115-122
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to guidelines of today seems considerably higher than has been reported also in recent literature.Aim: To estimate the prevalence of COPD as defined by British Thoracic Society (BTS) criteria and the recent global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) criteria. Further aims were to assess the proportion of underdiagnosis and of symptoms in subjects with COPD, and to study risk factors for COPD.Methods: In 1996, 5892 of the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) Study's first cohort could be traced to a third follow-up survey, and 5189 completed responses (88%) were received corresponding to 79% of the original cohort from December 1985. Of the responders, a random sample of 1500 subjects were invited to a structured interview and a lung function test, and 1237 of the invited completed a lung function test with acceptable quality.Results: In ages >45 years, the prevalence of COPD according to the BTS guidelines was 8%, while it was 14% according to the GOLD criteria. The absolutely dominating risk factors were increasing age and smoking, and approximately a half of elderly smokers fulfilled the criteria for COPD according to both the BTS and the GOLD criteria. Family history of obstructive airway disease was also a risk factor, while gender was not. Of those fulfilling the BTS criteria for COPD, 94% were symptomatics, 69% had chronic productive cough, but only 31% had prior to the study been diagnosed as having either chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD. The corresponding figures for COPD according GOLD were 88, 51, and 18%.Conclusions: In ages >45 years, the prevalence of COPD according to the BTS guidelines was 8%, and it was 14% according to the GOLD criteria. Fifty percent of elderly smokers had developed COPD. The large majority of subjects having COPD were symptomatic, while the proportion of those diagnosed as having COPD or similar diagnoses was small.
|
|
