A nationwide perspective on asthma in older Australians.
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: What is the prevalence of impaired lung function among older people in Australia? How can we differentiate between asthma and other causes of breathlessness in population-based health surveys of older people? What are the effects of ageing on people with asthma? WHAT WE NEED TO DO: Improve existing survey measures and accuracy of diagnosis. Incorporate measures of spirometric function into health surveys of representative samples of the general population. Use spirometry in the diagnostic work-up of older patients with dyspnoea.
Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, PO Box M77, Missenden Road Post Office, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. g.marks@unsw.edu.au
Guy B
GB
Marks
Leanne M
LM
Poulos
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution