Publications

Authors:

Accordini, S; Cappa, V; Braggion, M; Corsico, Ag; Bugiani, M; Pirina, P; Verlato, G; Villani, S; de Marco, R

Title:

The impact of diagnosed and undiagnosed current asthma in the general adult population

Year:

2011

Type of item:

Articolo in Rivista

Tipologia ANVUR:

Articolo su rivista

Language:

Inglese

Format:

A Stampa

Referee:

Sì

Name of journal:

International Archives of Allergy & Immunology

ISSN of journal:

1018-2438

N° Volume:

155

Number or Folder:

4

Page numbers:

403-411

Keyword:

asthma, burden of illness, epidemiology, undiagnosed asthmatics

Short description of contents:

Background: Restrictive definitions of current asthma are used in epidemiological studies to achieve a highly specific classification of subjects. However, undiagnosed asthmatics should be taken into account to correctly evaluate the impact of the disease in the general population. Methods: In an Italian multi-centre cross-sectional survey carried out in 1998–2000, 18,647 responders (20–44 years old) to a screening questionnaire were classified as having physician-diagnosed current asthma or current respiratory symptoms. Similarities in the risk factor profile and in the socioeconomic burden were considered suggestive of undiagnosed current asthma. Results: In Italy, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed current asthma was 4.9% (95% CI 4.4–5.4), while that of ‘asthma attacks and/or use of anti-asthmatic drugs in the past 12 months without a diagnosis of asthma’ (ADWD) was 1.5% (95% CI 1.3–1.7). Allergic rhinitis was highly associated with diagnosed current asthma [relative risk ratio (RRR) 12.48; 95% CI 9.12–17.07; reference category: neither asthma during lifetime nor current respiratory symptoms] and with ADWD (RRR 8.42; 95% CI 6.33–11.19). Chronic cough/phlegm was homogeneously associated with all the respiratory conditions, and the strongest relationship was with ADWD (RRR 7.79; 95% CI 4.95–12.25). Subjects with ADWD and diagnosed current asthmatics were characterised by high and homogeneous percentages of individuals who reported productivity losses (19.0 and 15.1%) and hospitalisations (9.2 and 6.2%) because of respiratory problems in the past year. Conclusions: The impact of current asthma seems to be largely underestimated among Italian adults, since the individuals with ADWD may be undiagnosed current asthmatics.

Product ID:

59916

Handle IRIS:

11562/349241

Deposited On:

September 12, 2011

Last Modified:

November 25, 2022

Bibliographic citation:

Accordini, S; Cappa, V; Braggion, M; Corsico, Ag; Bugiani, M; Pirina, P; Verlato, G; Villani, S; de Marco, R, The impact of diagnosed and undiagnosed current asthma in the general adult population «International Archives of Allergy & Immunology» , vol. 155 , n. 4 , 2011 , pp. 403-411

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