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Respiratory diseases can cause considerable disability in the elderly because of their limited respiratory reserve as a result of ageing. We have investigated the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases in elderly Chinese in Hong Kong and compared these data with those in elderly Caucasian populations. Two thousand and thirty two (999 male and 1,033 female) subjects, selected by age-stratified random sampling from a register of Hong Kong residents aged 70 yrs and over were interviewed to complete a respiratory questionnaire. Total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) was measured in 195 subjects. At least one respiratory symptom was reported by 56% of subjects. The most frequently reported symptoms were morning phlegm (26%), chronic cough with phlegm (10%) and wheeze in the past 12 months (8%). Of the self-reported diseases, the commonest was chronic bronchitis (7%), followed by asthma (5%), pulmonary tuberculosis (3%) and emphysema (2%). Of the 218 subjects with obstructive airway diseases, 128 (59%) had sought medical advice in the past 12 months. The most important determinants for respiratory symptoms and diseases were smoking and social class. Total serum IgE was significantly higher in current smokers than nonsmokers and also in those with chronic cough and phlegm than those without these complaints. Our study shows that respiratory ailments in Hong Kong elderly are as common as those reported in Sweden and the USA but less than those in England.

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RATIONALE: To describe QOL of children undergoing OFC in Canada and explore association between QOL, demographic/clinical characteristics, and parental confidence in recognizing anaphylaxis and using an autoinjector. METHODS: The FAQLQ-PF (higher score5poorer QoL; range50-6) was used to calculate QOL among children (n5166) undergoing OFC at the BC Children's Hospital Allergy clinic between Jan'14 and Oct'15. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between QOL, demographic/clinical characteristics, and several confidence domains. RESULTS: Mean QOL score was 1.95 (95%CI: 1.71, 2.17) overall, 1.05 (0.47, 1.63) for tree nut, 1.70 (1.30, 2.11) for peanut, and 2.16 (1.74, 2.58) for egg. QOL was worse for older children (p50.001), having a health professional (HCP) parent (p50.02), experiencing more severe reactions (p50.04), and having ever administered an autoinjector (p<0.001). QOL was better for children undergoing OFC to tree nut compared with egg (p50.009). CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals are likely more aware of risks of food allergy, negatively affecting their child's QOL. Similarly, older children, those who've experienced severe reactions, and those who've used an autoinjector may be more worried about risks. Tree nut allergy resulted in better QOL than egg allergy, likely due to egg being harder to avoid. We found no association between QOL and several confidence domains, suggesting confidence with recognizing anaphylaxis and using an autoinjector is insufficient for improving QOL.