title: Asthma in the elderly: Current understanding and future research needs--a report of a National Institute on Aging (NIA) workshop.
abstract: Asthma in the elderly is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and there is a paucity of knowledge on the subject. The National Institute on Aging convened this workshop to identify what is known and what gaps in knowledge remain and suggest research directions needed to improve the understanding and care of asthma in the elderly. Asthma presenting at an advanced age often has similar clinical and physiologic consequences as seen with younger patients, but comorbid illnesses and the psychosocial effects of aging might affect the diagnosis, clinical presentation, and care of asthma in this population. At least 2 phenotypes exist among elderly patients with asthma; those with longstanding asthma have more severe airflow limitation and less complete reversibility than those with late-onset asthma. Many challenges exist in the recognition and treatment of asthma in the elderly. Furthermore, the pathophysiologic mechanisms of asthma in the elderly are likely to be different from those seen in young asthmatic patients, and these differences might influence the clinical course and outcomes of asthma in this population.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asthma Clinical Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex., USA.
authors.forename: Nicola A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hanania
authors.forename: Monroe J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Sidney S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Braman
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saltoun
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enright
authors.forename: Ann R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Falsey
authors.forename: Sameer K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.forename: Joe W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ramsdell
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stempel
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.forename: Sandra R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Kushang V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Charles G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Irvin
authors.forename: Barbara P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Yawn
authors.forename: Ethan A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Halm
authors.forename: Stephen I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Ershler
authors.forename: Dennis K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ledford
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D015897:Comorbidity; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000503:physiopathology; D054561:National Institute on Aging (U.S.); D010641:Phenotype; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011584:Psychology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D014481:United States