Normal ageing of the lung: implications for diagnosis and monitoring of asthma in older people.
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: Is there an increased loss of elastic recoil over and above that due to ageing alone? How do we interpret inflammatory changes in the light of age-related airway inflammation? Is there an interaction between perception of airway narrowing and severity or control of disease? Are symptom-based action plans appropriate? Is control of the disease affected by the distribution of inhaled therapeutic aerosols and dry powder particles? WHAT WE NEED TO DO: Include patients aged 80 years and over in clinical trials. Assess functional and inflammatory parameters with appropriate age-matched controls in clinical trials. Assess feasibility and efficacy of symptom-based action plans versus those based on objective monitoring. Assess the responsiveness of elderly people to currently recommended therapies.
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Level 3, Building 92, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. nberend@woolcock.org.au
Norbert
N
Berend
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*