title: Antecedent features of children in whom asthma develops during the second decade of life.
abstract: In this report we compare 36 subjects in whom asthma was first diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 20 with 297 control subjects. All subjects were studied at age 5 to 9. Among the subjects who acquired a new diagnosis of asthma (NDA), the diagnosis was usually preceded by lower respiratory tract symptoms (31 of the 36 subjects had respiratory symptoms or a diagnosis of rhinitis or chronic bronchitis before asthma developed). Among those tested, more of those with NDA had positive allergy skin test results (56.5%) before diagnosis than control subjects (29.6%; p < 0.05), and the subjects with NDA had higher levels of serum IgE than control subjects (mean log serum IgE = 2.27 in subjects with NDA, 1.76 in control subjects; p < 0.05). Pulmonary function tests revealed no significant differences in the groups before diagnosis. Using logistic regression, we determined that wheezing, cough, a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, and a positive allergy skin test result were independent risk factors for asthma. When combinations of variables were used, subjects with wheezing and a positive allergy skin test result, cough and a positive test result, and also those with a prior diagnosis of chronic bronchitis alone were at highest risk of a subsequent diagnosis of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Sciences Center, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burrows
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lebowitz
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cline
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors