title: Chronic Comorbidities Contribute to the Burden and Costs of Persistent Asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to study the prevalence of chronic comorbidities in asthma patients and the costs of health care use associated with asthma with comorbidities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed the prevalence of the four most common chronic diseases in asthma patients in 2008-2014 in Finland. Prevalence of coronary artery disease, diabetes and dyslipidaemia, hypertension, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatic diseases, and severe psychiatric disease was studied by register of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The costs of health care services were collected from the registries maintained by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of asthma was 4.6% in 2014. Diabetes was among the four most common comorbidities in all the age groups. The other common comorbidities were hypertension (≥46 years; 12.9-37.6%), severe psychiatric disorders (age groups of 16-59 years; 1.4-3.5%), and ischaemic heart disease (≥60 years; 10-25%). In patients with both asthma and diabetes, the costs of hospitalization were approximately 169% compared with patients with asthma alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of asthma increases by tenfold when aging. The comorbidity diversity and rate are age-dependent. Prevalence of diabetes as comorbidity in asthma has increased. Costs of hospitalizations in asthma approximately double with chronic comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, Inflammation Center, Skin and Allergy Hospital, P.O. Box 160, 00029 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1065-330X
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kauppi
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15500, 00076 Aalto, Finland.
authors.forename: Miika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linna
authors.affiliation: South Karelia Allergy and Environment Institute, Lääkäritie 15, 55330 Tiuruniemi, Finland.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jantunen
authors.affiliation: Social Insurance Institution, Research Department, P.O. Box 450, 00101 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jaana E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Martikainen
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, Inflammation Center, Skin and Allergy Hospital, P.O. Box 160, 00029 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haahtela
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Pediatric Diseases and Allergology, Inflammation Center, Skin and Allergy Hospital, P.O. Box 160, 00029 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelkonen
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Pediatric Diseases and Allergology, Inflammation Center, Skin and Allergy Hospital, P.O. Box 160, 00029 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult