Asthma in Older Age Linked to Other Comorbidities

MONDAY, March 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Asthma in older age is associated with other comorbidities, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy.Martyna Miodońska, from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, and colleagues conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study of 345 patients with asthma older than 60 years of age and 410 matched controls without obstructive lung disease to examine treatment patterns and asthma control. Spirometry, forced oscillation technique (FOT) assessment, bronchodilator reversibility test, and patient-reported outcome data were assessed.The researchers found that 25 percent of the population had severe asthma. Overall, 48 percent of all patients with asthma presented with the T2 phenotype. Where spirometry was limited, the FOT proved useful. Significantly higher rates of depression, cognitive decline, and multimorbidity were seen in patients with asthma versus patients without asthma. The group with asthma had a consistently lower quality-of-life score (3.78 ± 0.91 versus 4.29 ± 1.81 in the group without asthma). Patients older than 80 years had significantly poorer asthma control, as well as reduced quality of life in the 36-Item Short Form Survey questionnaire (55.521 in younger patients versus 46.991 in older patients)."This study revealed that elderly patients often present with multimorbidity, poorer asthma control, reduced lung function and limited access to advanced therapies such as biologics," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Asthma in Older Age Linked to Other Comorbidities

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