title: Predictors of Asthma Control by Stepwise Treatment in Elderly Asthmatic Patients.
abstract: The geriatric population is increasing, and asthma severity increases with age. We determined the predictors of asthma control, exacerbation, and the factors that affect asthma-specific quality of life (A-QOL) in elderly asthmatic patients. This was a prospective, multicenter, real-life study for 6 months with stepwise pharmacologic treatment based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline. A total of 296 asthmatic patients aged ≥ 60 yr were recruited from 5 university centers in Korea. The improved-asthma control group was defined as the group of patients who maintained well-controlled or improved disease and the not-improved asthma control group was defined as the remaining patients. Fewer number of medications for comorbidities (2.8 ± 3.3 in the improved vs. 4.5 ± 4.4 in the control) and higher physical functioning (PF) scale (89.8 ± 14.2 in the improved vs. 82.0 ± 16.4 in the control) were significant predictors in the improved-asthma control group (OR = 0.863, P = 0.004 and OR = 1.028, P = 0.018, respectively). An asthma control test (ACT) score of ≤ 19 at baseline was a significant predictor of asthma exacerbation (OR = 3.938, P = 0.048). Asthma duration (F = 5.656, P = 0.018), ACT score (F = 12.237, P = 0.001) at baseline, and the presence of asthma exacerbation (F = 5.565, P = 0.019) were significant determinants of changes in A-QOL. The number of medications for comorbidities and performance status determined by the PF scale may be important parameters for assessing asthma control in elderly asthmatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ga-Young
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yunhwan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Keol
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University School of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University School of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Suck
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Sim
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
keywords: Asthma; Comorbidity; Control; Elderly; Performance