[Investigation of factors childhood asthma persisting into adulthood]

A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the percentages of patients with childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood and adult-relapse asthma in the adult asthmatic population, and to identify the factors the childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood.

The questionnaire survey included 822 adult asthmatic patients who visited out patient clinic at Nishikata Hospital. The characteristics of the three groups of adult asthmatics, namely, the childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood, adult-onset asthma and adult-relapse asthma, were compared with those of a group of 153 pediatric asthma patients with remission (control group).

1) The numbers of patients with adult-onset asthma, childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood and adult-relapse asthma in the survey population were 531 (64.7%), 168 (20.4%) and 123 (14.9%), respectively. 2) Comparison of the characteristics of the two groups of adult asthmatics (childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood and adult-relapse asthma) and control group revealed that the average age at onset and percentage of patients with a history of without preventive treatment, and delay in the start of early interventions were higher in the former groups than in the control group (p<0.01). Furthermore, the frequencies of severe asthma were significantly higher in the patients with childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood than in control group (p<0.01). The percentage of smokers was higher in the adult-relapse asthma group and childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood group than in control group.

1) In this adult asthmatic study population, the percentages of childhood-onset asthma persisting into adulthood and adult-relapse asthma in adult asthmatic population were 35.3%. 2) To prevent persistence of childhood-onset asthma into adulthood, it is important to prevent smoking, not keeping pets, and not delay in the onset of early interventions in childhood.