title: Asthma in older adults.
abstract: Asthma is underdiagnosed and undertreated in older adults. The classic symptoms, including episodic wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, are nonspecific in this age group. Older patients may underrate symptoms, and other diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and angina, may have similar presentations. Objective measurements of lung function always should complement the history taking and physical examination. Management of asthma in older adults should include careful monitoring, controlling triggers, optimizing and monitoring pharmacotherapy, and providing appropriate asthma education. Adverse effects to commonly used asthma medications are more common in older adults, and careful monitoring of their use and adverse effects is important.
authors.affiliation: The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA. sidney_braman@brown.edu
authors.forename: Sidney S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Braman
authors.forename: Nicola A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hanania
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000502:physiology*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents