[Influence of female sex on asthma]

Asthma in women has characteristic features related to hormone secretion. Classically, the prevalence of asthma is higher in boys than in girls. Data in the literature are not all in agreement with this hypothesis and it would appear that for cultural and social reasons, asthma is under-diagnosed in young girls. In the premenstrual context, sex hormones have a clear effect as reported in the literature in 30 to 40% of asthmatic women. Aggravation occurs readily in patients with severe disease. During pregnancy, asthma can influence outcome unfavorably. It is advisable to follow these pregnancies closely and encourage good self-monitoring to minimize risks for the mother and fetus. In the peri- and post-menopausal period, asthma may worsen in women with prior disease. The rate of disease onset during this period is also higher than in other age groups. Hormone replacement therapy can have an unfavorable effect on the incidence of asthma during this period.