| 1. |
- Ahlroth Pind, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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Pharmacological treatment of asthma in Sweden from 2005 to 2015
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Marcel Dekker. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 61:4, s. 313-321
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Despite access to effective therapies many asthma patients still do not have well-controlled disease. This is possibly related to underuse of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and overuse of short-acting β2-agonists (SABA). Our aim was to investigate longitudinal trends and associated factors in asthma treatment.METHODS: Two separate cohorts of adults with physician-diagnosed asthma were randomly selected from 14 hospitals and 56 primary health centers in Sweden in 2005 (n = 1182) and 2015 (n = 1225). Information about symptoms, maintenance treatment, and use of rescue medication was collected by questionnaires. Associations between treatment and sex, age, smoking, education, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, allergic asthma, and symptom control were analyzed using Pearson's chi2-test. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression.RESULTS: Maintenance treatment with ICS together with long-acting β2-agonists (LABA) and/or montelukast increased from 39.2% to 44.2% (p = 0.012). The use of ICS + LABA as-needed increased (11.1-18.9%, p < 0.001), while SABA use decreased (46.4- 41.8%, p = 0.023). Regular treatment with ICS did not change notably (54.2-57.2%, p = 0.14). Older age, former smoking, and poor symptom control were related to treatment with ICS + LABA/montelukast. In 2015, 22.7% reported daily use of SABA. A higher step of maintenance treatment, older age, obesity, shorter education, current smoking, allergic asthma, low or very high physical activity, and a history of exacerbations were associated with daily SABA use.CONCLUSIONS: The use of ICS + LABA both for maintenance treatment and symptom relief has increased over time. Despite this, the problem of low use of ICS and high use of SABA remains.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, F, et al.
(författare)
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The impact of exacerbations on the asthmatic patient's preference scores
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - 0277-0903. ; 40:6, s. 615-623
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exacerbations on mild to moderate asthmatic patients' preference-based, health-related, quality of life scores and also to describe the effect of these exacerbations on daily life. In a survey, 100 mild to moderate asthmatic patients in the United Kingdom were asked to rate three different health marker states on a scale between 0 (death) and 100 (perfect health), defined as: your asthma of today, a mild exacerbation, and a severe exacerbation of asthma. They were also asked to describe their symptoms and what they did when experiencing an exacerbation. During exacerbations the vast majority of asthmatic patients have significant symptoms and consume a considerable amount of health care resources, which often overlap. The health marker state "your asthma of today" was given a mean score of 81.0, a mild exacerbation a score of 62.1, and a severe exacerbation a score of 25.6, indicating a large impact on patients' daily life and their health-related quality of life. In conclusion, asthmatic patients are severely affected in their health and daily living by mild and severe exacerbations. Considerable effort should be made to reduce the number and severity of exacerbations.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Arnetz, Bengt, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Neighborhood air pollution and household environmental health as it relates to respiratory health and healthcare utilization among elderly persons with asthma
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 57:1, s. 28-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The study investigated the associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5; <2.5 mu m in diameter), indoor environment, pulmonary function, and healthcare utilization in a vulnerable group of elderly persons with asthma. We hypothesized that environmental conditions were associated with adverse pulmonary health outcomes.Methods: The study involved elderly (n = 76; mean age 64.6 years; 48 women) vulnerable persons in Detroit, Michigan, USA, with physician-diagnosed asthma. Exposure variables included measured outdoor PM2.5, self-rated outdoor and household environmental pollutants. Outcome variables were self-rated and measured pulmonary function, and asthma-related healthcare utilization.Results: Mean ambient PM2.5 concentrations during the study was 14.14 +/- (S.D. 6.36) mu g/m(3) during the summer and 14.20 (6.33) during the winter (p = 0.95). In multiple regression analyses, adjusting for age and gender, mean 6-month concentration of PM2.5 was related to shortness of breath (SHOB; standardized beta = 0.26, p = 0.02) and inversely with self-rated respiratory health (SRRH; beta = 0.28, p = 0.02). However, PM2.5 did not predict lung function (FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC). However, PM2.5 was related to use of asthma controller drugs (beta = 0.38, p = 0.001). Participants' air pollution ratings predicted total healthcare utilization (beta = 0.33, p = 0.01).Conclusions: In elderly persons with asthma, living near heavy industry and busy highways, objective and perceived environmental pollution relate to participants' respiratory health and healthcare utilization. Importantly, air pollution might increase use of asthma controller drugs containing corticosteroids with implication for elderly persons' risk to develop osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Axelsson, Malin, et al.
(författare)
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Differences in diagnostic patterns of obstructive airway disease between areas and sex in Sweden and Finland : The Nordic EpiLung Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 58:9, s. 1196-1207
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the current prevalence of physician-diagnosed obstructive airway diseases by respiratory symptoms and by sex in Sweden and Finland. Method: In 2016, a postal questionnaire was answered by 34,072 randomly selected adults in four study areas: Västra Götaland and Norrbotten in Sweden, and Seinäjoki-Vaasa and Helsinki in Finland. Results: The prevalence of asthma symptoms was higher in Norrbotten (13.2%), Seinäjoki-Vaasa (14.8%) and Helsinki (14.4%) than in Västra Götaland (10.7%), and physician-diagnosed asthma was highest in Norrbotten (13.0%) and least in Västra Götaland (10.1%). Chronic productive cough was most common in the Finnish areas (7.7-8.2 % versus 6.3-6.7 %) while the prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis (CB) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) varied between 1.7-2.7% in the four areas. Among individuals with respiratory symptoms, the prevalence of asthma was most common in Norrbotten, while a diagnosis of COPD or CB was most common in Västra Götaland and Seinäjoki-Vaasa. More women than men with respiratory symptoms reported a diagnosis of asthma in Sweden and Seinäjoki-Vaasa but there were no sex differences in Helsinki. In Sweden, more women than men with symptoms of cough or phlegm reported a diagnosis of CB or COPD, while in Finland the opposite was found. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and corresponding diagnoses varied between and within the countries. The proportion reporting a diagnosis of obstructive airway disease among individuals with respiratory symptoms varied, indicating differences in diagnostic patterns both between areas and by sex.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia, et al.
(författare)
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Inhaler technique mastery and maintenance in healthcare professionals trained on different devices
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 55:1, s. 79-88
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are required to assess and train patients in the correct use of inhalers but are often unable to demonstrate correct technique themselves. We sought to assess the level of training required for HCPs to master and maintain device mastery when using two different dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Methods: We conducted a randomized, un-blinded, crossover study in undergraduate HCPs who undertook a six-step training procedure (intuitive use, patient information leaflet, instructional video, individual tuition from expert, then two repeats of individual tuition) for the use of Turbuhaler® (an established device) and Spiromax® (a newer device, reportedly easier to use). Device mastery (absence of errors) was evaluated by expert assessors at each training step. Maintenance of mastery was assessed 4 ± 1 week (visit 2) and 8 ± 2 weeks (visit 3) after initial training (visit 1). Results: Of 516 eligible participants, 113 (22%) demonstrated device mastery prior to training on Spiromax® compared with 20 (4%) on Turbuhaler® (p < 0.001). The median number of training steps required to achieve mastery was 2 (interquartile range [IQR] 2–4) for Spiromax® and 3 (IQR 2–4) for Turbuhaler® (p < 0.001). A higher number of participants maintained mastery with Spiromax® compared with Turbuhaler®, at visits 2 and 3 (64% vs 41% and 79% vs 65%, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions: There are significant differences in the nature and extent of training required to achieve and maintain mastery for Spiromax® and Turbuhaler® devices. The implications on clinical practice, device education delivery, and patient outcomes require further evaluation.
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| 10. |
- Bouhuis, Dennis, et al.
(författare)
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Factors associated with self-assessed asthma severity
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Marcel Dekker. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 59:4, s. 691-696
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Asthma severity can be estimated as the level of medication needed to achieve asthma control or by the patient's subjective assessment. Factors associated with self-assessed asthma severity are still incompletely explored.AIM: The aim was to study factors associated with self-assessed moderate or severe asthma.METHOD: In total, 1828 randomly selected asthma patients from primary (69%) and secondary (31%) care, completed a questionnaire including items about patient characteristics, comorbidity, the Asthma Control Test (ACT), emergency care visits and a scale for self-assessed asthma severity. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations with the dependent variable, self-assessed moderate or severe asthma in the entire study population and stratified by sex.RESULTS: Of the patients, 883 (45%) reported having moderate or severe asthma. Factors independently associated with self-assessed moderate or severe asthma were age >60 years (OR [95% CI] 1.98 [1.37-2.85]), allergic rhino-conjunctivitis (1.43 [1.05-1.95]), sinusitis (1.45 [1.09-1.93]), poor asthma control as measured by ACT <20 (5.64 [4.45-7.16]) and emergency care visits the previous year (2.52 [1.90-3.34]). Lower level of education was associated with self-assessed moderate/severe asthma in women (1.16 [1.05-2.43]) but not in men (0.90 [0.65-1.25]), p for interaction = .012.CONCLUSION: Poor asthma control, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, recent sinusitis and older age were independently associated with self-assessed moderate or severe asthma. Important implications are that comorbid conditions of the upper airways should always be considered as part of asthma management, and that elderly patients may need extra attention.
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| 11. |
- Brynjulfsen, Trine, et al.
(författare)
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Motivation for physical activity in adolescents with asthma
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 58:9, s. 1247-1255
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective:We explored motivation for physical activity (PA) and exercise in adolescents with asthma who entered and continued a 10-week play-based exercise intervention. Methods:Eighteen adolescents with asthma, aged 13-17 years, participated in a 10-week play- and interval-based indoor exercise intervention during winter and autumn months. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted in weeks 2 and 8, focusing on motivation for PA and exercise, as well as field observations of exercise sessions in weeks 2, 6, and 8. The first interview was analyzed separately from the second one and descriptive observational data were obtained using thematic analysis and self-determination theory as a framework. Results:In the first round of focus group interviews, participants (n= 18) described amotivation and motivation for PA within the following five themes: "teachers' lack of asthma knowledge", "embarrassment over asthma symptoms", "not being able to keep pace with peers", "seasonal challenges", and "mastering fun physical activities". Based on the second interview (n= 14) and descriptive observational data (n= 18), participants reported and revealed amotivation and motivation for PA within the following four themes: "understanding and relatedness", "social support", "competition", and "mastering fun activities". Conclusion:We conclude that play-based exercises designed for groups of adolescents with asthma can support motivation for PA and exercise and reduce social and asthma-specific barriers.
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| 12. |
- Chong, Julianne J., et al.
(författare)
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What Affects Asthma Medicine Use in Children? : Australian Asthma Educator Perspectives
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 46:5, s. 437-444
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The global burden of childhood asthma is significant. Health care systems are faced with increasing financial costs, while children with asthma and their caretakers are faced with poorer physical health, emotional health, and quality of life. Despite the availability of effective treatment, the quality use of asthma medicines in children remains suboptimal. An investigation was conducted to explore issues related to children's asthma medicine usage from the perspective of the health care professional. Although current literature has elicited the views of caretakers and children, the health care professional viewpoint has been relatively unexplored. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 21 Australian asthma educators. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and transcripts were thematically analyzed with the assistance of NVivo 7. Emergent themes associated with health care professionals, parents, medicines, children, and educational resources were found. Major issues included a lack of information provided to parents, poor parental understanding of medicines, the high cost of medicines and devices, child self-image, the need for more child responsibility over asthma management, and the lack of standardization, access to, and funding for educational resources on childhood asthma. There are multitudes of key issues that may affect asthma medicines usage in children. This research will help inform the development of educational tools on the use of medicines in childhood asthma that can be evaluated for their effectiveness in getting key messages to target audiences such as children, caretakers, and teachers.
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| 13. |
- Covaciu, Corina, et al.
(författare)
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Childhood Allergies Affect Health-Related Quality of Life
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 50:5, s. 522-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. The majority of studies investigating the effects of allergy on the children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) address one particular allergic disease, using a disease-specific HRQoL instrument. This work aims to assess the comparative impact on HRQoL of several allergic conditions of childhood (asthma, rhinitis, eczema, and food hypersensitivity) in a large, population-based sample of Swedish 8-year-olds. Methods. Data were obtained from a Swedish birth cohort (BAMSE). At the 8-year follow-up, parents of 3236 children completed the standardized generic HRQoL instrument EQ-5D and reported on the children's symptoms of asthma, rhinitis, eczema, and food hypersensitivity. Information on allergic sensitization and lung function was available for a sub-sample of the children (n = 2370 and 2425, respectively). Results. Children in the study population had a median EQ visual analog scale (VAS) of 98 (Inter Quartile Range, IQR, 90-100). The median EQ VAS was significantly lower in children with allergic diseases. Children with asthma had the lowest median EQ VAS (90, IQR 85-98) and reported the highest prevalence of problems of "pain or discomfort" (18.2%, compared to 5.5% in children without asthma). Frequent wheezing and effort-induced wheezing were associated with high prevalence of problems of "anxiety or depression" (23.3% and 15.4%, respectively). Conclusions. Swedish 8-year-olds enjoy a good HRQoL, which though is significantly impacted by allergic diseases and particularly by asthma. Asthma symptoms are important determinants of HRQoL and symptom control should be a major goal in asthma management.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Ekerljung, Linda, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence, clinical characteristics and morbidity of the Asthma-COPD overlap in a general population sample
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 55:5, s. 461-469
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been regarded as distinct conditions, emerging literature suggests that overlapping phenotypes, called asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), exists. The aim of this study was to describe prevalence, patient characteristics and morbidity of ACO. Methods: From a cross-sectional population sample, the West Sweden Asthma Study, subjects with suspected asthma, chronic bronchitis or COPD, and a random sample, were invited to clinical examinations. ACO was defined as doctor-diagnosed asthma, or clear clinical signs of asthma at examination, with a FEV1/FVC < 0.7. Results: Subjects were categorized as ACO (N = 181), COPD only (N = 89), asthma only (N = 651) or healthy (n = 1036) based on clinical examinations. Prevalence of ACO was 3.4% in the random sample (N = 1172) and 18.1% among asthmatics (N = 138) in the random sample. Subjects with ACO (mean age 59 years, 54% women) had an age and gender distribution in between asthma only (45 years, 63% women) and COPD only (62 years, 41% women). Ever-smoking was reported by 71%, 48% and 74% in the ACO, asthma only and COPD only groups, respectively. Subjects with ACO had worse lung function (mean FEV1% of predicted normal 76%) than asthma only (100%) and COPD only (87%) and reported more respiratory symptoms. Also respiratory related emergency visits were more common in ACO compared to asthma only and COPD only, respectively. Conclusions: ACO is present in 3.4% of the population and common among subjects with both asthma and COPD. Subjects with ACO had worse lung function and more symptoms than subjects with asthma or COPD only.
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| 16. |
- Ekstrand, Y, et al.
(författare)
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Sensitivity to Environmental Irritants and Capsaicin Cough Reaction in Patients with a Positive Methacholine Provocation Test before and after Treatment with Inhaled Corticosteroids
- 2011
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF ASTHMA. - 0277-0903. ; 48:5, s. 482-489
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence points to a potential role for members of the transient receptor potential family of cation channels on several features of asthmatic disease. The cough sensitivity to inhaled capsaicin is known to reflect the reactivity of these airway sensory nerves. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study, among patients having a positive methacholine provocation and diagnosed with asthma, capsaicin cough sensitivity, sensitivity to methacholine, and levels of exhaled nitric oxide before and after treatment with inhaled steroids, and further, to measure the self-reported impact from environmental irritants. METHODS: Eighteen steroid-naïve patients with a positive methacholine test underwent capsaicin inhalation provocation on two occasions, before and after regular use of inhaled steroids over at least 3 months. Comparisons were made to 21 healthy controls. Sensitivity to methacholine and levels of exhaled nitric oxide were measured before and after the treatment. The participants also answered a validated questionnaire regarding environmental irritants. RESULTS: The patients displayed higher capsaicin cough sensitivity than the controls before the treatment period, but not afterward. Before treatment, capsaicin cough answer correlated significantly with levels of exhaled nitric oxide, but not with methacholine sensitivity. After treatment with inhaled corticosteroids, the capsaicin cough sensitivity and the inflammatory parameters were normalized. In comparison to the control group, the patients reported more affective reactions to and behavioral disruptions induced by environmental irritants. CONCLUSIONS: In steroid-naïve patients with a positive methacholine test, there is a link between that part of the airway inflammation that is reflected by exhaled nitric oxide and that followed by an augmented reactivity of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves. This association disappears after steroid treatment.
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| 17. |
- Gasiuniene, Edita, et al.
(författare)
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Clusters based on immune markers in a Lithuanian asthma cohort study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 60:6, s. 1123-1130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Asthma is divided into various distinct phenotypes on the basis of clinical characteristics, physiological findings, and triggers, and phenotyping is usually performed in a hypothesis-driven univariate manner. However, phenotyping can also be performed using computer algorithms to evaluate hypotheses-free relationships among many clinical and biological characteristics. We aimed to identify asthma phenotypes based on multiple demographic, clinical, and immunological characteristics. Methods: Cluster analysis in R v3.5.0 was performed using asthma patient data. A total of 170 adult patients with asthma (diagnosed according to the GINA recommendations) were recruited to the study. All patients completed questionnaires about their smoking history and underwent physical examination, spirometry, skin-prick test, blood sample collection to evaluate peripheral blood cell counts and serum IgE, periostin, and interleukin (IL)-33 levels, as well as body mass index measurements. Data normality was checked with histograms and QQ plots. Hierarchical clustering was performed using Ward’s linkage with Ward’s clustering criterion. The optimal number of clusters was validated using the Dunn criterion as well as by comparing different clustering algorithms using the clValid package. Results: Three clusters characterizing asthma phenotypes were identified: (1) early-onset, highly atopic, and eosinophilic asthma associated with male sex and high levels of IL-33 and periostin; (2) late-onset, eosinophilic asthma associated with female sex and low levels of IL-33 and periostin; and (3) late-onset, obese, neutrophilic asthma associated with female sex, persistent airway obstruction, and very low IL-33 and periostin levels.
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| 18. |
- Ilmarinen, Pinja, et al.
(författare)
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Level of education and asthma control in adult-onset asthma
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1532-4303 .- 0277-0903. ; 59:4, s. 840-849
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Education in itself and as a proxy for socioeconomic status, may influence asthma control, but remains poorly studied in adult-onset asthma. Our aim was to study the association between the level of education and asthma control in adult-onset asthma. Methods: Subjects with current asthma with onset >15years were examined within the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden study (OLIN, n=593), Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study (SAAS, n=200), and West Sweden Asthma Study (WSAS, n=301) in 2009-2014 in a cross-sectional setting. Educational level was classified as primary, secondary and tertiary. Uncontrolled asthma was defined as Asthma Control Test (ACT) score ≤19. Altogether, 896 subjects with complete data on ACT and education were included (OLIN n=511, SAAS n=200 and WSAS n=185). Results: In each cohort and in pooled data of all cohorts, median ACT score was lower among those with primary education than in those with secondary and tertiary education. Uncontrolled asthma was most common among those with primary education, especially among daily ICS users (42.6% primary, 28.6% secondary and 24.2% tertiary; p=0.001). In adjusted analysis, primary education was associated with uncontrolled asthma in daily ICS users (OR 1.92, 95%CI 1.15-3.20). When stratified by atopy, the association between primary education and uncontrolled asthma was seen in non-atopic (OR 3.42, 95%CI 1.30-8.96) but not in atopic subjects. Conclusions: In high-income Nordic countries, lower educational level was a risk factor for uncontrolled asthma in subjects with adult-onset asthma. Educational level should be considered in the management of adult-onset asthma.
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| 19. |
- Irewall, Tommie, et al.
(författare)
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High incidence rate of asthma among elite endurance athletes : a prospective 4-year survey
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 58:6, s. 735-741
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The prevalence of asthma among elite endurance athletes is high, but less is known about the incidence of asthma among athletes. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence rate of physician-diagnosed asthma among elite endurance athletes.Method: An annual postal questionnaire was sent to an open prospective cohort of elite endurance athletes between 2011 and 2015. Athletes from Swedish National teams, students at universities with elite sport partnership, and pupils at Swedish National elite sport schools, competing in cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski orienteering, or orienteering were invited (n = 666). Incidence rate of physician-diagnosed asthma was calculated among those without asthma at baseline (n = 449). Risk factors for incident physician-diagnosed asthma were identified using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results: Response rate was 88.7% (n = 591) at baseline. The median age of participants was 17 (range 15–36) years at inclusion. The study population included 407 (69%) skiers and 184 (31%) orienteers. The prevalence of asthma at baseline was 23.9% (n = 141). Incidence rate (95% confidence interval [CI]) of physician-diagnosed asthma was 61.2 (45.7–80.3) per 1,000 person-years. Risk factors (odds ratio [OR (95% CI)]) for incident physician-diagnosed asthma were family history of asthma (1.97 [1.04–3.68]), being a skier (3.01 [1.42–7.21]), and wheezing without having a cold (4.15 [1.81–9.26]).Conclusion: The incidence rate of physician-diagnosed asthma is high among Swedish elite endurance athletes.
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| 20. |
- Ji, Jianguang, et al.
(författare)
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Seasonal and regional variations of asthma and association with osteoporosis: possible role of vitamin D in asthma.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1532-4303 .- 0277-0903. ; Okt, s. 1045-1048
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Based on the evidence that vitamin D is involved in the development of immune system and vitamin D receptor gene is associated with asthma, we supposed that vitamin D is related to the development of asthma. Methods. Asthma patients were identified from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register and the hospitalization rate was examined by different seasons and regions. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for asthma were examined among patients hospitalized for osteoporosis compared with the general population. Results. A total of 172,384 patients were hospitalized for asthma in Sweden during 1965-2007. More patients were hospitalized in winter and North Sweden than in summer and South Sweden. The risk of asthma after osteoporosis was significantly increased, giving an overall SIR of 2.93. The risk was higher in male patients when compared with female subjects. Patients hospitalized for osteoporosis at age younger than 55 showed a high risk. Reversing the analyses and examining the risk of osteoporosis after hospitalization of asthma, SIR was significantly increased (3.54). Conclusion. Our study suggests that vitamin D, as indicated by the high risk of asthma after osteoporosis and the seasonal and regional variations of hospitalization, could play an important role for the development of asthma.
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| 21. |
- Jonsson, M, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of living with asthma : a focus group study with adolescents and parents of children with asthma
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 51:2, s. 185-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The goal for asthma treatment is that every individual, so far as possible, shall live without symptoms and exacerbations. Patients and health care professionals sometimes have different perceptions of what is important for achieving good quality of life. This work aims to describe the experiences among adolescents as well as those of parents with young children living with asthma. Methods: Four focus group interviews were performed, two with parents of young children and two with adolescents. The data were qualitatively analyzed, using Systematic Text Condensation. Result: Three themes relevant to the participants’ experiences of living with asthma were presented; strategies, frustrations and expectations. The adolescents wanted to be like their peers and developed their own strategies for self-management of asthma, which included not always taking medication as prescribed. The parents emphasized frustration regarding not being believed, lack of understanding feelings of loneliness, or anxiety. One identified expectation was that the participants wanted to be met with competence and understanding in asthma care from health care professionals. Another expectation expressed among parents was that teachers in nursery and primary schools should have more knowledge and understanding on how to care for children with asthma. Conclusion: Living with asthma leads to developing personal strategies in self-management of asthma. Moreover both parents and adolescents had expectations of being met by competent and understanding health care professionals. Developing a partnership between patients and health care professionals could be a successful way to improve the care of patients with asthma.
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| 22. |
- Kallin, S. A., et al.
(författare)
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Excessive daytime sleepiness in asthma: What are the risk factors?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - Abingdon : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 55:8, s. 844-850
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Previous studies have found that excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a more common problem in asthmatic subjects than in the general population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prevalence of EDS is increased in asthmatic subjects and, if so, to analyse the occurrence of potential risk factors for EDS in asthmatics. Methods: Cross-sectional epidemiological study. In 2008, a postal questionnaire was sent out to a random sample of 45,000 individuals aged 16-75 years in four Swedish cities. Results: Of the 25,160 persons who participated, 7.3% were defined as having asthma. The prevalence of EDS was significantly higher in asthmatic subjects (42.1% vs. 28.5%, p < 0.001) compared with non-asthmatic subjects. Asthma was an independent risk factor for EDS (adjusted OR 1.29) and the risk of having EDS increased with asthma severity. Risk factors for EDS in subjects with asthma included insomnia (OR, 3.87; 95% CI, 3.10-4.84); chronic rhinosinusitis (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.53-2.62); current smoking (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.15-2.22) and obesity (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.09-2.13). Conclusions: EDS is a common problem among subjects with asthma. Asthma is an independent risk factor for having EDS. Furthermore, subjects with asthma often have other risk factors for EDS, many of them potentially modifiable.
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| 23. |
- Kim, Jeong-Lim, et al.
(författare)
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Respiratory Symptoms and Respiratory-Related Absence from Work among Health Care Workers in Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 50:2, s. 174-179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. To investigate respiratory symptoms and respiratory-related absence from work among Swedish health care workers (HCWs). Methods. From a postal questionnaire study among a general Swedish working population ( n ¼ 12,186), we identified 2156 HCW (555 assistant nurses, 377 nurses, 109 physicians, and 1115 others), including 429 with mainly cleaning tasks (HCW-cleaning). The remaining respondents were classified as non-HCW. Multiple logistic regressions with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compare respiratory symptoms and respiratory-related absence from work between HCW and non-HCW, adjusting for potential confounders. Results. The prevalence of adult onset asthma was 4.3% in HCW and 3.0% in non-HCW ( p ¼ .003). Asthmatic symptoms during the past year were reported mainly by HCW-cleaning, 14.7%, in comparison to 8.3% among non-HCW ( p < .0001). HCW had an increased odds ratio (OR) for asthmatic symptoms during the past year (OR 1.3, 95% CI (1.1 – 1.5)) and more prominent among assistant nurses (OR 1.5, 95% CI (1.1 – 2.0)) and HCW-cleaning (OR 1.9, 95% CI (1.4 – 2.5)). Respiratory-related absence from work in the past year was reported by 1.4% of non-HCW, 3.0% of HCW-cleaning, 2.9% of nurses, and 1.6% of assistant nurses. Taking smoking and age into account, there was still significantly increased respiratory-related absence from work in nurses (OR 2.0, 95% CI (1.1 – 3.8)) and in HCW-cleaning (OR 2.1, 95% CI (1.2 – 3.7)). Conclusions . HCW in Sweden, especially those with cleaning tasks, reported more respiratory symptoms and respiratory-related absence from work than the general working population. There is a need for longitudinal studies with detailed information on both occupational exposures and socioeconomic factors to explore what influences respiratory-related absence from work among HCW.
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| 24. |
- Kisiel, Marta A., 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of life and asthma control related to hormonal transitions in women's lives
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Marcel Dekker. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 59:9, s. 1869-1877
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The aim was to investigate if menstruation and use of exogenous sex hormones influence self-reported asthma related quality of life (QoL) and asthma control.Methods: The study is based on two asthma cohorts randomly selected in primary and secondary care. A total of 622 female patients 18-65 years were included and classified as premenopausal ≤46 years (n = 338) and peri/postmenopausal 47-65 years (n = 284). Questionnaire data from 2012 and 2014 with demographics, asthma related issues and sex hormone status. Outcome measures were Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-AQLQ) and asthma control including Asthma Control Test (ACT) and exacerbations last six months.Results: Premenopausal women with menstruation related asthma worsening, perimenstrual asthma (PMA) (9%), had a clinically relevant lower Mini-AQLQ mean score 4.9 vs. 5.8 (p < 0.001), lower asthma control with ACT score <20, 72% vs. 28% (p < 0.001) and higher exacerbation frequency 44% vs. 20% (p = 0.004) compared with women without PMA. Women with irregular menstruation had higher exacerbation frequency than women with regular menstruation (p = 0.023). Hormonal contraceptives had no impact on QoL and asthma control. Peri/postmenopausal women with menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) had a clinically relevant lower Mini-AQLQ mean score compared to those without MHT, 4.9 vs 5.4 (p < 0.001), but no differences in asthma control.Conclusion: Women with PMA had lower QoL and more uncontrolled asthma than women without PMA. Peri/postmenopausal women with MHT had lower QoL than women without MHT. Individual clinical management of women with asthma may benefit from information about their sex hormone status.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Krisiukeniene, Algirda, et al.
(författare)
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Smoking affects eotaxin levels in asthma patients.
- 2009
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Ingår i: The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1532-4303. ; 46:5, s. 470-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Chronic airway inflammation is most important pathological finding in asthma. Cigarette smoking may modify type of inflammation as well as may influence disease severity and response to the treatment. OBJECTIVE: Thus the aim of this study was to investigate whether cigarette smoking may have an influence on the levels of eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, eotaxin-3 and IL-5 in patients with stable mild/moderate asthma. METHODS: 45 steroid naive asthmatics (mean age: 55.2 +/- 2.2 yrs) and 23 "healthy" smokers and non-smokers control subjects (mean age: 54.4 +/- 9.7 yrs) were investigated. Asthmatics were divided into two subgroups according to their smoking histories: asthmatic smokers (n = 19) who currently smoke and have a history of > 10 pack-years and asthmatic never-smokers (n = 26). BAL and induced sputum were performed. Cytospins of induced sputum and BAL were stained with May-Grunwald-Giemsa for differential cell counts. Eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, eotaxin-3 and IL-5 concentrations in serum, sputum and BAL supernatant was measured using a commercial ELISA kit. RESULTS: In sputum supernatant from asthma smokers was significantly higher concentration of eotaxin-1 than in non-smokers asthmatics (203.4 +/- 10.0 vs. 140.2 +/- 9.5 respectively, p < 0.05). In non-smokers asthma patients levels of BAL eotaxin-1 strongly related to percent and absolute numbers of BAL eosinophils and neutrophils (Rs = 0.737 and Rs = 0.514 respectively, p < 0.05). The number and percent of sputum neutrophils and eosinophils, obtained from smokers asthmatics, significantly correlated with eotaxin-2 concentration in sputum supernatant (Rs = 0.58 and Rs = 0.75 respectively, p < 0.05). IL-5 levels in the serum and sputum from asthmatic never-smokers were significantly higher than they were from asthmatic smokers and "healthy" smokers. Asthmatic never-smokers showed a significantly higher amount of IL-5 in serum and sputum than the asthmatic smokers showed. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the elevated levels of sputum eotaxin-1 as well as serum, sputum and BAL eotaxin-2 in asthmatic smokers without a significant increase of eosinophils compared to asthmatic never-smokers. The eotaxin concentrations were related not only with number of eosinophils but also with the number of neutrophils in all the studied tissue compartments. The data herein permits a suggestion that smoking may influence change in asthmatic airway inflammation by stimulating the production of eotaxins.
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| 27. |
- Kämpe, Mary, 1956-, et al.
(författare)
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Upper airway and skin symptoms in allergic and non-allergic asthma: Results from the Swedish GA(2)LEN study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - Abingdon : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 55:3, s. 275-283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Allergic and non-allergic asthma are viewed as separate entities, despite sharing similarities. The aims of this study were to determine differences in symptoms from the upper airways and the skin in allergic and non-allergic asthma. The secondary aims were to identify childhood risk factors and to compare quality of life in the two asthma groups. Methods: This cohort (age 17-76years) consisted of 575 subjects with allergic or non-allergic asthma and 219 controls. The participants participated in an interview, spirometry, FeNO, skin prick test, and responded to the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results: Self-reported allergic rhinitis was significantly more common in both allergic and non-allergic asthma (82.3 and 40.7%) groups compared with the controls. The prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) was similar in both asthma groups. Eczema was significantly more common in both asthmatic groups (72.3 and 59.8%) than controls (47.0%) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012). Severe respiratory infection in childhood and parental allergy were risk factors for both allergic and non-allergic asthma groups. Quality of life was significantly lower in non-allergic than allergic asthma groups (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Concomitant symptoms from the upper airways and the skin were significantly more common in both allergic and non-allergic asthma. This indicates that non-allergic asthma has a systemic component with similarities to what is found in allergic asthma. There were similarities in the childhood risk factor pattern between the two types of asthma but asthma-related quality of life was lower in the non-allergic asthma group.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Leander, Mai, et al.
(författare)
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Associations Between Mortality, Asthma, and Health-Related Qualityof Life in an Elderly Cohort of Swedes
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Asthma is a common chronic health condition among the elderly and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Some studiesshow that subjective assessments of health-related quality of life (HRQL) are important predictors of mortality and survival. The primary aim ofthis study was to investigate whether low HRQL was a predictor of mortality in elderly subjects and whether such an association differed betweensubjects with and without asthma. Methods. In 1990, a cohort in middle Sweden was investigated using a respiratory questionnaire. To assess HRQL,the generic instrument Gothenburg Quality of Life (GQL) was used. The participants were also investigated by spirometry and allergy testing. Thepresent study was limited to the subjects in the oldest age group, aged 60–69 years in 1990, and included 222 subjects with clinically verified asthma,148 subjects with respiratory symptoms but no asthma or other lung diseases, and 102 subjects with no respiratory symptoms. Mortality in thecohort was followed during 1990–2008. Results. Altogether, 166 of the 472 subjects in the original cohort had died during the follow-up period of1990–2008. Mortality was significantly higher in men, in older subjects, in smokers, and subjects with a low forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1). There was, however, no difference in mortality between the asthmatic and the nonasthmatic groups. A higher symptoms score for GQLwas significantly related to increased mortality. No association between HRQL and mortality was found when limiting the analysis to the asthmaticgroup, although the asthmatics had a lower symptom score for GQL compared to the other groups. Conclusion. A higher symptom score in the GQLinstrument was significantly related to increased mortality, but this association was not found when analyzing the asthmatic group alone. The negativeprognostic implications of a low HRQL in the whole group and the fact that the asthmatic group had a lower HRQL than the other group supports theuse of HRQL instruments in clinical health assessments.
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| 30. |
- Leander, Mai, et al.
(författare)
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Non-respiratory symptoms and well-being in asthmatics from a general population sample
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 46:6, s. 552-559
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Different instruments have been developed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in asthma patients. However, relatively few studies have assessed HRQL in asthma patients from a general population, and it is still unclear which instrument is most suitable. The purpose of this study was to compare HRQL in clinically verified asthmatics with subjects with respiratory symptoms without asthma and with subjects with no respiratory symptoms from a general population. The generic instrument Gothenburg Quality of Life (GQL) was used. A secondary aim was to study if GQL had any prognostic value in asthma. METHODS: A cohort of three age groups in Sweden was investigated in 1990 using a respiratory questionnaire and GQL. The cohort consisted of 616 subjects with asthma, 488 subjects with respiratory symptoms but no asthma, and 347 subjects without respiratory symptoms. The participants were also investigated by spirometry and allergy testing. In a follow-up study, subjects were identified who had persistent and improved asthma. RESULTS: The prevalence of 28 of the 30 common symptoms in GQL was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in subjects with asthma as compared to non-asthmatics. All symptoms in the domains heart and lung, head, musculoskeletal, tension, and depression were significantly increased among the asthmatics. The asthmatics also rated their physical well-being lower (p < 0.001) than subjects with no respiratory symptoms. Subjects with persistent asthma had a significantly higher prevalence of 7 of the 30 symptoms and lower social well-being than subjects showing improvement in asthma during the follow-up. All differences remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking habits. CONCLUSION: Subjects with asthma had different symptom-profiles compared to those of non-asthmatics, with a higher prevalence of both respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms. Asthma is also a disease that is related to low well-being. The use of quality-of-life questionnaires such as the GQL may provide useful information for evaluating the non-respiratory aspects of asthma as well as for assessing the impact of disease on health status and well-being.
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| 31. |
- Li, Tian, et al.
(författare)
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Onset of respiratory symptoms among Chinese students : associations with dampness and redecoration, PM10, NO2, SO2 and inadequate ventilation in the school
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 57:5, s. 495-504
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study onset of respiratory symptoms among students in China in relation to the school and the home environment.METHODS: A two-year prospective cohort study among 1325 students in eight schools. Air pollution was measured at baseline in the schools. Respiratory symptoms and the home environment were assessed by a questionnaire.RESULTS: The 2-year onset was 14.3%, 23.2%, 15.4%, 4.7% and 37.3% for wheeze, daytime attacks of breathlessness, nocturnal cough, nocturnal wheeze/breathlessness and respiratory infections, respectively. The mean concentrations of PM10, SO2, NO2, ozone and CO2 in the classrooms were 129 µg/m3, 68.0 µg/m3, 43.2 µg/m3, 8.6 µg/m3 and 1208 ppm, respectively. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), dampness/mold at home and ozone in the classroom were associated with onset of wheeze. Onset of daytime breathlessness was associated with redecoration and dampness/mold at home and CO2 and relative air humidity (RH) in the classrooms. Dampness/mold at home, PM10, CO2 and RH in the classrooms and outdoor PM10, SO2 and NO2 were associated with onset of nocturnal cough. Onset of nocturnal wheeze/breathlessness was associated with dampness/mold at home and RH and PM10 in the classrooms. Respiratory infections were more common at higher levels of outdoor PM10.CONCLUSIONS: Air pollution (PM10, ozone, SO2 and NO2) and inadequate ventilation flow in the classrooms (indicated by CO2 > 1000 ppm) and ETS, dampness or mold and chemical emissions from redecoration at home can increase onset of respiratory symptoms.
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| 32. |
- Lim, Fang Lee, et al.
(författare)
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Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) among office workers in an academic institution, Malaysia - associations with asthma, allergies and office environment.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 53:2, s. 170-178
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: There are few studies on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and respiratory symptoms among adults in tropical areas. The aim was to study associations between FeNO and selected personal factors, respiratory symptoms, allergies, office characteristics and indoor office exposures among office workers (n = 460) from a university in Malaysia.METHODS: Information on health was collected by a questionnaire, skin prick test and FeNO measurement. Temperature, relative air humidity, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were measured in the offices. Settled dust was vacuumed in the offices and analyzed for endotoxin, (1,3)-β-glucan and house dust mites allergens, namely Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1) and Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f 1). Two-level linear mixed models and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the associations.RESULTS: One-fourth (25.9%) of the office workers had elevated FeNO level (≥25 ppb) and 61.5% had HDM, cat, seafood or pollen allergy. Male gender (p < 0.001), current smoking (p = 0.037), height (p < 0.001) and atopy (p < 0.001) were associated with FeNO. The amount of vacuumed dust was associated with FeNO among atopic subjects (p = 0.009). Asthma and rhinitis symptoms were associated with FeNO (p < 0.05), especially among atopic subjects. In particular, a combination of atopy and elevated FeNO were associated with doctor-diagnosed asthma (p < 0.001), rhinitis (p < 0.001) and airway symptoms last 12 months (p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Gender, smoking, height and atopy are important risk factors for elevated FeNO levels. A combination of allergy testing and FeNO measurement could be useful in respiratory illness epidemiology studies and patient investigations in tropical areas.
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| 33. |
- Lind, Nina, 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Coping and social support in asthma and allergy: the Vasterbotten Environmental Health Study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 52:6, s. 622-629
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Asthma and allergy are stressful conditions that require coping strategies and social support to reduce stress and enhance health-promoting behavior. However, research is limited regarding coping and social support in asthma and allergy. The aim was to better understand the use of different coping strategies and perceived social support in low and high severity (exacerbation frequency) of asthma and allergy. Methods: Population-based data were used to provide ratings of coping strategies (Study I) and social support (Study II) from 124 and 94 participants, respectively, with asthma and/or allergy, categorized as low or high in severity. Problem-and emotion-focused coping strategies were assessed as well as emotional, instrumental and informative social support from seven sources. Results: Study I showed that avoiding certain environments (problem-based coping) and trying to accept one's situation (emotion-based) were the most commonly used coping strategies. These behaviors did not differ due to severity. Study II showed that more emotional than instrumental and informative support was perceived. The highest rated support sources were the partner, family members and the healthcare system. More social support was reported in low asthma/allergy severity compared to high asthma/allergy severity. Conclusion: The most commonly used coping strategies in the population of persons with these four types of asthma and allergy are avoiding certain environments and trying to accept one's situation. More emotional support than instrumental and informative is perceived to be received, and most of the support is received from one's partner and other family members and least from authorities and patient associations/support groups.
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| 34. |
- Lisspers, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of life and measures of asthma control in primary health care
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 44:9, s. 747-751
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: To study quality of life and asthma control in primary care. A total of 1,477 patients 15 to 45 years of age received questionnaires regarding asthma control (77% responded) and quality of life, Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ), (74% responded). Patients using short-acting beta-agonists more than twice in the last week had clinically significant lower MiniAQLQ scores (5.17 versus 5.91). This finding was consistent for night awakenings during the previous week (4.42 versus 5.86), courses of oral corticosteroids (4.82 versus 5.69), and reported emergency consultations during the last 6 months (4.85 versus 5.71). Good asthma control is associated with better quality of life in asthma patients in primary care.
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| 35. |
- Lisspers, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Sex-differences in quality of life and asthma control in Swedish asthma patients
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 50:10, s. 1090-1095
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: To study sex-related differences in quality of life, asthma control and asthma management in different age groups. Methods: A cross-sectional survey and patient record study in primary and secondary care. A total of 1226 patients in primary and 499 in secondary care, ages 18-75 and randomly selected, with a response rate of 71%. Patients were classified into four groups, 18-34, 35-49, 50-64 and 65-75 years. Results: Younger women (18-49 years) had a lower total MiniAQLQ score than men in the same age group (5.41 vs. 5.80, p<0.001), while no significant difference was found between older women and men (50-75 years) (5.08 vs. 5.16, p = 0.42). The sex differences in the younger group remained significant after adjusting for medication, educational level, smoking, body mass index, allergy and depression (p = 0.008). The odds ratios for younger women to have night-awakenings was 1.7 (95% CI 1.07-2.57), for asthma exacerbations 1.9 (95% CI 1.21-2.98) and for not achieving asthma control 1.5 (95% CI 1.00-2.13) when adjusting for smoking, educational level and body mass index. No differences in asthma control were found when comparing older women with men of similar ages. Conclusions: Younger women had lower quality of life and less often asthma control than men in the same age range, while no corresponding sex differences were found between older women and men of similar ages. Female sex hormones could be an important factor affecting these outcomes.
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| 36. |
- Löwhagen, Olle, 1938
(författare)
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Diagnosis of asthma - new theories
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 52:6, s. 538-544
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Recent studies have shown a remarkably high frequency of poorly controlled asthma. Several reasons for this treatment failure have been discussed, however, the basic question of whether the diagnosis is always correct has not been considered. Followup studies have shown that in many patients asthma cannot be verified despite ongoing symptoms. Mechanisms other than bronchial obstruction may therefore be responsible. The current definition of asthma may also include symptoms that are related to mechanisms other than bronchial obstruction, the clinical hallmark of asthma. Aim: Based on a review of the four cornerstones of asthma inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, bronchial obstruction and symptoms the aim was to present some new aspects and suggestions related to the diagnosis of adult nonallergic asthma. Conclusion: Recent studies have indicated that "classic" asthma may sometimes be confused with asthmalike disorders such as airway sensory hyperreactivity, small airways disease, dysfunctional breathing, nonobstructive dyspnea, hyperventilation and vocal cord dysfunction. This confusion may be one explanation for the high proportion of misdiagnosis and treatment failure. The current diagnosis, focusing on bronchial obstruction, may be too "narrow". As there may be common mechanisms a broadening to include also nonobstructive disorders, forming an asthma syndrome, is suggested. Such broadening requires additional diagnostic steps, such as qualitative studies with analysis of reported symptoms, noneffort demanding methods for determining lung function, capsaicin test for revealing airway sensory hyperreactivity, careful evaluation of the therapeutic as well as diagnostic effect of corticosteroids and testing of suggested theories.
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| 37. |
- Ma'pol, Aminnuddin, et al.
(författare)
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FeNO level and allergy status among school children in Terengganu, Malaysia
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 57:8, s. 842-849
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Almost one third of the world population suffers from allergic conditions. Respiratory symptoms are common in Malaysian children but there are few studies on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), inclusive of field clinical test for asthma among children in Malaysia. The aim was to provide insight on factors related to level of FeNO among students in Terengganu, Malaysia. Methods: In total, 487 randomly selected students from eight secondary schools participated (13-14 years old). A Standardized questionnaire was used to obtained information on doctors' diagnosed asthma, current asthma and respiratory symptoms. FeNO measurement and skin prick test (SPT to common allergen) were conducted. Results: The geometric mean FeNO was 16.7 ppb. Totally, 38.4% of students had elevated FeNO level (>20 ppb) and 40.3% had had positive SPT to house dust mites allergens (HDM), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f 1) or Felis domisticus (cat). Male gender, height, parental history of allergy, self-reported allergy, and atopy were associated with FeNO. In particular, a combination of sensitization to HDM or cat and elevated FeNO were associated with doctor-diagnosed asthma and self-reported allergy to food, pollen and cat. Conclusion: Asthma, respiratory symptoms and sensitization to HDM and cat are common among students and presence of elevated FeNO levels indicate ongoing airway inflammation.
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Morales, D. R., et al.
(författare)
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Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with and without asthma from the United States, South Korea, and Europe
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 60:1, s. 76-86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Large international comparisons describing the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 are limited. The aim of the study was to perform a large-scale descriptive characterization of COVID-19 patients with asthma. Methods: We included nine databases contributing data from January to June 2020 from the US, South Korea (KR), Spain, UK and the Netherlands. We defined two cohorts of COVID-19 patients ('diagnosed' and 'hospitalized') based on COVID-19 disease codes. We followed patients from COVID-19 index date to 30 days or death. We performed descriptive analysis and reported the frequency of characteristics and outcomes in people with asthma defined by codes and prescriptions. Results: The diagnosed and hospitalized cohorts contained 666,933 and 159,552 COVID-19 patients respectively. Exacerbation in people with asthma was recorded in 1.6-8.6% of patients at presentation. Asthma prevalence ranged from 6.2% (95% CI 5.7-6.8) to 18.5% (95% CI 18.2-18.8) in the diagnosed cohort and 5.2% (95% CI 4.0-6.8) to 20.5% (95% CI 18.6-22.6) in the hospitalized cohort. Asthma patients with COVID-19 had high prevalence of comorbidity including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Mortality ranged from 2.1% (95% CI 1.8-2.4) to 16.9% (95% CI 13.8-20.5) and similar or lower compared to COVID-19 patients without asthma. Acute respiratory distress syndrome occurred in 15-30% of hospitalized COVID-19 asthma patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of asthma among COVID-19 patients varies internationally. Asthma patients with COVID-19 have high comorbidity. The prevalence of asthma exacerbation at presentation was low. Whilst mortality was similar among COVID-19 patients with and without asthma, this could be confounded by differences in clinical characteristics. Further research could help identify high-risk asthma patients. KEY MESSAGES Asthma prevalence in COVID-19 patients varied internationally (5.2-20.5%).The prevalence of asthma exacerbation at presentation with COVID-19 in diagnosed and hospitalized patients was low.Comorbidities were common in COVID-19 patients with asthma. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2021.2025392 .
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| 41. |
- Nana, A, et al.
(författare)
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High-dose inhaled budesonide may substitute for oral therapy after an acute asthma attack
- 1998
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - 0277-0903. ; 35:8, s. 647-655
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Patients attending the emergency room with acute asthma, participating in a study comparing salbutamol (albuterol in the United States) via a dry powder inhaler (Turbuhaler) with pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI), were included in this 1-week follow-up study with the aim of assessing whether inhaled budesonide via Turbuhaler may be an alternative to prednisolone tablets after an acute asthma attack. Eighty-one patients with a mean age of 38 years and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) of 64% predicted normal value after treatment with salbutamol were randomized in this double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study. The doses given were budesonide 1600 microg b.i.d. or prednisolone in daily doses from 40 mg (day 1) decreased to 5 mg (day 7). FEV1 was recorded before and after the 7-day treatments and peak expiratory flow (PEF) morning and evening, clinical symptoms (visual analogue scale 0-100), and doses of rescue medication (terbutaline Turbuhaler 0.25 mg/dose) were recorded daily. The mean increase in FEV1 from baseline to day 7 was 17.3% in the budesonide Turbuhaler group and 17.6% in the prednisolone group. Mean values of morning PEF increased from day 1 to day 7 by 67 L/min in the budesonide Turbuhaler group and by 57 L/min in the prednisolone group (not significant). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in clinical symptoms and in the number of doses of rescue medication. Because of disease deterioration, five patients in the Turbuhaler group and three in the prednisolone group needed additional symptomatic as well as corticosteroid treatment. Inhaled budesonide in high doses may be a substitute for oral therapy as follow-up treatment after an acute asthma attack.
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| 42. |
- Norqvist, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma among Swedish adolescent, adult and former elite endurance athletes
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 52:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Asthma is common among elite endurance athletes. Since the first published Swedish studies in 1993, awareness of "skiers' asthma" has increased. The current prevalence of asthma among Swedish skiers is unknown. This paper aims to present the design of a 5-year prospective annual questionnaire study on asthma among Swedish current and former elite endurance athletes, the first cross-sectional results on prevalence, age of onset, and predictors of self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma in the study population.METHODS: An annual postal questionnaire is sent to Swedish elite skiers and orienteers during 2011-2015. In 2013, former Swedish Olympic skiers were similarly invited. We present cross-sectional data obtained in 2011 from the adolescents and adults and in 2013 from former skiers. A total of 491 athletes were invited. The results are presented by age, sex and sport. Chi-square test was used for group comparisons. Predictors of asthma were identified using logistic regression.RESULTS: Response rate was 82%. Among athletes aged 15-19, 29% of the skiers (38% of the female skiers), and 17% of the orienteers reported asthma (p = 0.071). Among the athletes aged 20-34, 35% of the skiers and 16% of the orienteers reported asthma (p = 0.029). Among the former skiers aged 40-94, 22% reported asthma. Among the active athletes, the onset of asthma was in early adolescence. Logistic regression found increasing age, female sex, allergy, family history of allergy/asthma and being skier predictors of self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma is high among Swedish endurance athletes, especially female adolescent skiers.
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| 43. |
- Nowakowska, Joanna, et al.
(författare)
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Increased expression of ORMDL3 in allergic asthma : a case control and in vitro study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 60:3, s. 458-467
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease in children. One of the most replicated genetic findings in childhood asthma is the ORMDL3 gene confirmed in several GWA studies in several paediatric populations.OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyse ORMDL3 variants and expression in childhood asthma in the Polish population.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study we included 416 subject, 223 asthmatic children and 193 healthy control subjects. The analysis of two SNPs (rs3744246 and rs8076131) was performed using genotyping with TaqMan probes. The methylation of the ORMDL3 promoter was examined with Methylation Sensitive HRM (MS-HRM), covering 9 CpG sites. The expression of ORMDL3 was analysed in PBMCs from paediatric patients diagnosed with allergic asthma and primary human bronchial epithelial cells derived from healthy subjects treated with IL-13, IL-4, or co-treatment with both cytokines to model allergic airway inflammation.RESULTS: We found that ORMDL3 expression was increased in allergic asthma both in PBMCs from asthmatic patients as well as in human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated with the current cytokines. We did not observe significant differences between cases and controls either in the genotype distribution of analysed SNPs (rs3744246 and rs8076131) nor in the level of promoter methylation.CONCLUSIONS: Increased ORMDL3 expression is associated with paediatric allergic asthma and upregulated in the airways upon Th2-cytokines stimulation, but further functional studies are required to fully understand its role in this disease.
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| 44. |
- Prapamontol, Tippawan, et al.
(författare)
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Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in students in Northern Thailand : associations with respiratory symptoms, diagnosed allergy and the home environment
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 59:9, s. 1787-1795
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: There are few studies on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) among children in subtropical areas. We studied associations between FeNO and respiratory symptoms, reported diagnosed allergies and indoor and outdoor environmental factors in first grade junior high school students (N = 270) in upper northern Thailand.Methods: Data on demographics, health and home environment were collected by a questionnaire distributed in dry season (February-March 2018). FeNO was measured when the research team visited the school. Daily outdoor pollution data (PM10 and ozone) were collected from the nearest monitoring station 3 days (lag 3) and 7 days (lag 7) before the FeNO measurements. Two-level (student, school) linear mixed models were used to analyze associations, adjusting for gender and family education level.Results: In total, 29.6% had elevated FeNO level (>20 ppb) and 7.8% reported any allergy diagnosed by a doctor. Male gender (p = 0.02), diagnosed allergy (p = 0.001), especially to cat (p = 0.001) and house dust mite (HDM) allergies (p = 0.001) were associated with FeNO. Eye symptoms (p = 0.01), rhinitis symptoms (p = 0.03) and dyspnea (p = 0.05) in the last 3 days were associated with FeNO. Household indoor mold (p = 0.03), gas cooking (p = 0.03) and PM10 (lag 3 and lag 7) were negatively (protective) associated with FeNO.Conclusions: Diagnosed allergy, especially to cat and HDM, can be associated with increased FeNO. Indoor mold and gas cooking can be associated with lower FeNO. Ocular, nasal and dyspnea symptoms reported by students in dry season in northern Thailand can be associated with FeNO, a biomarker of Th2 driven airway inflammation.
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| 45. |
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| 48. |
- Russell, Melissa A., et al.
(författare)
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Physical activity and asthma : a longitudinal and multi-country study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - Abingdon : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 54:9, s. 938-945
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the impact of physical activity on asthma in middle-aged adults, in one longitudinal analysis, and one multi-centre cross-sectional analysis.Methods: The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) is a population-based postal questionnaire cohort study. Physical activity, height and weight were self-reported in Bergen, Norway, at RHINE II (1999–2001) and all centres at RHINE III (2010–2012). A longitudinal analysis of Bergen data investigated the association of baseline physical activity with follow-up asthma, incident asthma and symptoms, using logistic and zero-inflated Poisson regression (n = 1782). A cross-sectional analysis of all RHINE III centres investigated the association of physical activity with concurrent asthma and symptoms (n = 13,542) using mixed-effects models. Body mass index (BMI) was categorised (<20, 20–24.99, 25–29.99, 30+ kg/m2) and physical activity grouped by amount and frequency of lighter (no sweating/heavy breathing) and vigorous (sweating/heavy breathing) activity.Results: In the Bergen longitudinal analysis, undertaking light activity 3+ times/week at baseline was associated with less follow-up asthma (odds ratio [OR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22, 0.89), whilst an effect from undertaking vigorous activity 3+ times/week was not detected (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.44, 2.76). The associations were attenuated with BMI adjustment. In the all-centre cross-sectional analysis an interaction was found, with the association between physical activity and asthma varying across BMI categories.Conclusion: These findings suggest potential longer-term benefit from lighter physical activity, whilst improvement in asthma outcomes from increasing activity intensity was not evident. Additionally, it appears the benefit from physical activity may differ according to BMI.
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| 49. |
- Rönnebjerg, Lina, et al.
(författare)
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Health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression, beliefs of medication, and self-efficacy in individuals with severe asthma–a population-based study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 61:2, s. 148-59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Individuals with severe asthma often report poor Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and more research is essential to increase understanding of how they may be helped to improve HRQoL. The main aim of the current paper is to evaluate HRQoL, and possible factors influencing HRQoL, in individuals with severe asthma. The aim is also to explore associations among anxiety, depression, beliefs of medication, self-efficacy, and HRQoL among individuals with severe and other asthma as well as those with no asthma. Methods: Participants with severe asthma (n = 59), other asthma (n = 526), and no asthma (n = 902) were recruited from West Sweden Asthma Study, a population-based study, which includes both questionnaire surveys and clinical examinations. Results: Individuals with severe asthma had worse physical HRQoL (measured with SF-8) than those with other and no asthma (median 48.4, 51.9, and 54.3, respectively). They also had worse mental HRQoL (median 46.7) and reported higher anxiety and depression scores (measured using HADS, median 5.0 and 3.5, respectively) compared to no asthma (median 4.0 and 2.0, respectively). HRQoL was particularly affected among women with severe asthma. Individuals with severe asthma believed that their asthma medication was more necessary than those with other asthma, but they reported more concern for the medication. Asthma control and packyears predicted physical HRQoL and anxiety predicted mental HRQoL among individuals with severe asthma. Conclusions: Efforts to improve asthma control and to reduce anxiety may improve HRQoL in individuals with severe asthma. Especially, women with severe asthma seem to need support to improve their HRQoL. Reducing concerns with asthma medication is most likely essential as high concerns may lead to poor adherence, which in turn may negatively affect asthma control and HRQoL.
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| 50. |
- San Sebastián, Emil Xabier, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence and risk factors for self-reported asthma among sámi in Sweden : a cross-sectional study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 60:9, s. 1646-1652
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Literature about asthma among Indigenous communities worldwide is scarce. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported asthma and to identify the risk factors associated with it among the Sámi population in Sweden.Methods: A population-based health study (SámiHET) was conducted among the Sámi population aged 18–84 years in 2021. The asthma outcome was self-reported. Potential risk factors included sociodemographic, socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral and psychosomatic factors. Frequencies and percentages of the independent variables and the outcome were calculated. Then, the magnitude of the association between the independent variables and asthma was summarized with the prevalence ratio (PR) using the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for inferential purposes.Results: Overall, 20.6% of participants reported having asthma and 13.9% suffering from asthma with symptoms. Women (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01–1.42), those living in the Västerbotten region (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11–1.63) and those suffering financial strain (PR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.07–1.69) had a higher risk of self-reported asthma. Among the psychosomatic factors, self-reported allergy (PR: 6.45; 95% CI: 5.11–8.17), overweight (PR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.19–1.78) and obesity (PR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.41–2.17) were statistically significant associated to asthma symptoms.Conclusion: A higher prevalence of asthma was found among the Sámi in Sweden compared to the average Swedish population. The associated risk factors were similar to those described in the literature. To understand the reason behind the higher prevalence of asthma among Sámi, more asthma-specific research, including register data, is needed.
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