Significant predictors of poor quality of life in older asthmatics

Health-related quality of life in asthma patients - A comparison of two cohorts from 2005 and 2015

“…Our findings of associations with worse HRQL assessed using mini-AQLQ confirm the results from a previous studies where lower mini-AQLQ scores were associated with subjective severity rating [10], anxiety/depression [10] and rhinosinusitis [15]. Our findings that previous exacerbations, overweight and obesity were all associated with lower mini-AQLQ scores, and higher education with higher mini-AQLQscores, are consistent with other studies where the same factors were associated with HRQL using other instruments as the 32 item AQLQ or EQ-5D [11][12][13][14]30]. However, in our opinion it is of clinical importance that the same associations were picked up by the briefer and more convenient mini-AQLQ instrument.…”

An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report: Evaluation and Management of Asthma in the Elderly

“…The U.S. aging population is expected to increase rapidly over the next decade. Active asthma is common in patients older than 65 years of age and can be severe and disabling, with marked ventilatory impairment (3)(4)(5) and negative impact on quality of life (QOL) (6). Asthma in older patients may persist from childhood or may begin in adulthood, even at an advanced age.…”

“…Persons 65 years and older are especially vulnerable to adverse health outcomes including asthma-related events and reduced quality of life (QOL), given age-related reductions in cognitive and physical function, and increased rates of comorbid conditions (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23). In addition, older Americans often live in urban environments (24), with higher traffic pollution predicting poorer asthma-related QOL (6). The United States National Surveillance of Asthma report (7) shows that across the American lifespan, those aged 65 years or older had the: (1) largest increase in the prevalence of current asthma, (2) highest rate of asthma-related deaths, (3) second-highest rate of asthma-based physician office visits and hospitalizations, but unexpectedly (4) lowest rate of a reported asthma attack in the previous year or an emergency department (ED) visit for asthma.…”

Asthma in the elderly and late‐onset adult asthma

“…The impact of asthma in the aged is compounded by the “normal” changes of the airway structure and alterations of the immunologic response with aging. Not surprisingly, asthma in patients >65 years of age has a significant negative impact on measures of quality of life (QOL) . Despite these statistics, the pathophysiology and treatment of asthma in older patients are not as well characterized as it is in younger adults and children.…”