Risk Factors for Abnormal Small Airway Function Indicators in Nasal Polyp Patients with and without Asthma

Small airway dysfunction (SAD) is associated with type 2 inflammation in patients who have non-asthmatic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs); however, the risk factors for abnormal small airway function indicators in CRSwNP patients with and without asthma remain unclear.

We retrospectively analyzed 41 asthmatic and 109 non-asthmatic CRSwNP patients. Clinical characteristics were compared between groups, correlations between small airway function and clinical parameters were calculated, and independent risk factors for every small airway indicator were identified in each group.

Asthmatic CRSwNP patients had significantly reduced small airway function, and the proportion of patients with SAD was higher in asthmatic CRSwNP patients (65.85%) than in patients without asthma (9.17%). With regard to specific airway function indicators, age and a patient's blood eosinophil (%) were identified as independent risk factors for lower FEF50% %pred and FEF25-75% pred, with age being an independent risk factor for FEF75% %pred in asthmatic CRSwNP patients. In non-asthmatic CRSwNP patients, allergic rhinitis comorbidity was found to be an independent risk factor for FEF50% %pred, FEF75% %pred, and FEF25-75% %pred.

Physicians should pay greater attention to risk factors for abnormal small airway function indicators in patients with CRSwNPs to prevent the occurrence of SAD.