Pediatric thalassemic patients have higher incidence of asthma: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study
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Hsin-Yi Hsieh1, Lin-Chi Huang2, Hong-Ren Yu1
1Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Insights
Children with thalassemia have a significantly higher risk of developing asthma. Early diagnosis and prevention strategies are crucial for managing asthma in these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hematology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hemoglobinopathies are associated with increased pulmonary complications.
- Limited research exists on the link between thalassemia and childhood asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between thalassemia and the incidence of asthma in children.
- To determine if children with thalassemia have a higher risk of developing asthma compared to controls.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database.
- Matched 800 children with thalassemia to 3200 control children based on demographic and clinical factors.
- Analyzed asthma incidence rates and adjusted hazard ratios.
Main Results:
- Children with thalassemia showed a higher incidence of asthma (41.81 vs 25.70 per 1000 person-years).
- Thalassemia was associated with an increased risk of asthma (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.37).
- Boys with thalassemia had a higher risk of asthma, as did both atopic and nonatopic asthma.
Conclusions:
- Children with thalassemia are more prone to developing asthma.
- Increased vigilance for early asthma diagnosis and prevention of exacerbations is recommended for thalassemic children.
Introduction:
Patients with hemoglobinopathies have been reported to have higher rates of pulmonary complications. Few studies have investigated the association between thalassemia and asthma in children.
Methods:
We used the data of one million individuals randomly selected from the Registry for Beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Research Database. One thalassemic child was matched with four control children without thalassemia according to sex, birth year, birth season, prematurity, and previous enteroviral infection.
Results:
A total of 800 hundred thalassemic children and 3200 controls were included. Children with thalassemia had higher rates of developing asthma (41.81 vs 25.70 per 1000 person-years, P < 0.001) than the non-thalassemia controls with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19-1.58). Boys in the thalassemia cohort had a significantly higher adjusted incidence hazard ratio (IRR) of asthma than those in the non-thalassemia cohort (adjusted IRR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.02-1.73). The risk of atopic and nonatopic asthma was higher in the thalassemia cohort than in the non-thalassemia cohort (IRR = 1.3, 1.61, respectively).
Conclusions:
Children with thalassemia were more likely to develop asthma. More attention should be paid to the early diagnosis of asthma and prevention of asthma attacks.
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