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Asthma prevalence among US elderly by age groups: age still matters
Emeka Oraka1, Huyi Jin Elizabeth Kim, Michael E King
1Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30324, USA. eoraka@cdc.gov
Summary
Asthma prevalence decreases with age in US elderly, while COPD increases. This highlights the need for tailored respiratory care in older adults, focusing on accurate diagnosis and risk reduction.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pulmonology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma disproportionately affects older adults (65+), contributing significantly to mortality in this demographic for over 30 years.
- Understanding age-related asthma prevalence is crucial for effective public health strategies and clinical management in the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the association between increasing age and asthma prevalence within different age groups of the US elderly population.
- To investigate patterns of current asthma, lifetime asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in relation to age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized aggregated data from 54,485 noninstitutionalized US adults aged 65+ from the 2001-2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
- Estimated prevalence of current asthma, lifetime asthma, and COPD across 5-year age groups and age stages (65-84 and ≥85 years).
- Calculated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine asthma prevalence patterns.
Main Results:
- The average annual prevalence of current asthma in US elderly was 7.0%, with lifetime asthma at 9.9% and COPD at 9.7%.
- Asthma prevalence declined with advancing age, whereas COPD prevalence increased.
- Adjusted odds of reporting current asthma significantly decreased with age, with individuals aged 85+ showing the lowest odds (AOR=0.45) compared to those aged 65-69.
Conclusions:
- Asthma remains a significant health issue for the US elderly population.
- The rising prevalence of COPD may lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment of asthma in older individuals.
- Treatment guidelines should emphasize preventable risk behaviors to enhance the quality of life for elderly individuals with respiratory conditions.
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