Ethnicity as a possible factor contributing to the development of chronic airflow limitation and asthma

Race or ethnicity have occasionally been cited as possible factors contributing to the risk of developing obstructive lung disease. In a hospital based case-control study of Caucasian patients with asthma or chronic airflow limitation (CAL), we determined the frequency of each of five major European ethnic groups in the patients. We then compared the two patient groups to each other and to the frequencies reported by Canada Census and found significant differences in their ethnic constitution. Our results suggest that the British are more likely than other groups, especially North Eastern Europeans, to develop CAL, while North Eastern Europeans and Scandinavians are more likely to develop asthma. These differences could be due to genetic differences among the various groups or to environmental factors associated with particular ethnic groups. They suggest that ethnicity is an additional factor to consider in future epidemiological studies of CAL or asthma.