Older people missing out on asthma treatmentMay 16, 2001As many as two per cent of older people are missing out on asthma treatment - equivalent to one in five people over the age of 65 with the disease - shows research in Thorax.* Six thousand patients aged 65 and above, from 21 general practitioner lists in Bristol, south west England, were surveyed. The intention was to find out about the extent and severity of respiratory symptoms, and whether these were being appropriately diagnosed and treated. Of the 4792 responses, 15 per cent reported that they were taking treatment for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A further 700 reported symptoms suggestive of asthma, or that they had been diagnosed with asthma by a doctor, but were no longer on treatment. Random testing of lung function among 280 respondents in this last group showed that 38 were asthmatic, almost 85 per cent of whom had moderate to severe disease. Untreated asthma was most common in those who had been already diagnosed as asthmatic, but were no longer on treatment and in those who reported breathlessness and wheeze at rest. The authors conclude that the figures indicate around 2 per cent of adults over the age of 65 have untreated asthma. They suggest that this may be because other diseases afflicting this age group have similar symptoms to asthma. But left untreated, these patients could end up as emergency admissions, they say. * Figures are based on asthma prevalence estimated to be 8 to 10 per cent of the population as a whole, and supplied by author, but not given in the paper. British Medical Journal (BMJ) |
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