Characterization of bronchiectasis in the elderly.
Although bronchiectasis particularly affects people ≥65 years of age, data describing clinical characteristics of the disease in this population are lacking. This study aimed at evaluating bronchiectasis features in older adults and elderly, along with their clinical outcomes.



This was a secondary analysis of six European databases of prospectively enrolled adult outpatients with bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis characteristics were compared across three study groups: younger adults (18-65 years), older adults (66-75 years), and elderly (and ≥76 years). 3-year mortality was the primary study outcome.



Among 1258 patients enrolled (median age: 66 years; 42.5% males), 50.9% were ≥65 years and 19.1 ≥ 75 years old. Elderly patients were more comorbid, had worse quality of life and died more frequently than the others. Differences were detected among the three study groups with regard to neither the etiology nor the severity of bronchiectasis, nor the prevalence of chronic infection with P. aeruginosa. In multivariate regression model, age (OR: 1.05; p-value: <0.0001), low BMI (OR: 2.63; p-value: 0.02), previous hospitalizations (OR: 2.06; p-value: 0.006), and decreasing FEV1(OR: 1.02; p-value: 0.001) were independent predictors of 3-year mortality, after adjustment for covariates.



Bronchiectasis does not substantially differ across age groups. Poor outcomes in elderly patients with bronchiectasis might be directly related to individual's frailty that should be further investigated in clinical studies.
School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan Bicocca, Geriatric Unit, ASST San Gerardo, Via Pergolesi 33, Monza, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Bellelli
Tayside Respiratory Research Group, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
James D
JD
Chalmers
Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassarim, Research, Medical Education and Professional Development Unit, AOU Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Giovanni
G
Sotgiu
Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassarim, Research, Medical Education and Professional Development Unit, AOU Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Simone
S
Dore
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Galway University Hospitals, Newcastle Road, Galway, H91YR71, Ireland.
Melissa J
MJ
McDonnell
University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Respiratory Medicine, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Pieter C
PC
Goeminne
5th Pulmonary Department, "Sotiria" Chest Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Katerina
K
Dimakou
Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Clinic for General Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine University of Novi Sad, Serbia.
Dusan
D
Skrbic
School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan Bicocca, AO San Gerardo, Via Pergolesi 33, Monza, Italy.
Andrea
A
Lombi
School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan Bicocca, AO San Gerardo, Via Pergolesi 33, Monza, Italy.
Federico
F
Pane
Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Clinic for General Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine University of Novi Sad, Serbia.
Dusanka
D
Obradovic
Tayside Respiratory Research Group, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
Thomas C
TC
Fardon
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Galway University Hospitals, Newcastle Road, Galway, H91YR71, Ireland.
Robert M
RM
Rutherford
School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan Bicocca, AO San Gerardo, Via Pergolesi 33, Monza, Italy.
Alberto
A
Pesci
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Cardio-thoracic Unit and Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.aliberti@unimi.it.
Stefano
S
Aliberti
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D000073496:Frailty; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
COPD; Comorbidity; Cystic fibrosis; Frailty; Pseudomonas