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Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: May 10, 2024
Reduced infant lung function, active smoking, and wheeze in 18-year-old individuals
David Mullane1, Steve W Turner, Des W Cox
1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Reduced infant lung function is linked to persistent wheeze in 18-year-olds. Other factors include infant atopy, maternal asthma, and smoking, offering insights into obstructive airways disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory health
- Pulmonary function development
- Epidemiology of wheeze and asthma
Background:
- Wheeze in childhood can persist into adulthood, impacting long-term respiratory health.
- Early life factors influencing the development of persistent wheeze require further investigation.
- Understanding the origins of obstructive airways disease in young adults is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if reduced lung function in infancy predicts persistent wheeze at age 18.
- To identify other early-life factors associated with persistent wheeze in young adults.
Main Methods:
- A birth cohort study followed 150 individuals from 1 month to 18 years of age in Perth, Western Australia.
- Maximal flow at functional residual capacity (V'maxFRC) was measured in infants.
- Wheeze status was categorized based on reported symptoms, and smoking status was recorded at age 18.
Main Results:
- Reduced percentage of predicted V'maxFRC in infancy was independently associated with persistent wheeze at age 18 (43% mean reduction).
- Persistent wheeze was also linked to infant atopy (OR=7.1), maternal asthma (OR=6.8), and active smoking (OR=4.8).
- Reduced infant lung function was associated with wheeze at age 18 only among current smokers.
Conclusions:
- Persistent wheeze from childhood to young adulthood is associated with reduced infant lung function, atopy, maternal asthma, and smoking.
- Active smoking interacts with reduced infant lung function to increase the risk of wheeze at age 18.
- These findings provide critical insights into the developmental origins of obstructive airways disease.
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