Browsing by Subject "Asthma"

Respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD create a significant disease burden worldwide. Data used in this paper was collected in 2016 in FinEsS-Helsinki-study regarding respiratory diseases, their symptoms and risk factors. Later, the respondents were asked to submit a permission to collect personal socioeconomic data from several authorities as a part of Nordic EpiLung-study. The aim of this paper was to analyze if there are differences between non-responders and responders in different background variables, lung diseases or medication using the original FinEsS-data. Response rate in epidemiological surveys has declined during the last decades. Non-responder-studies offer valuable information regarding the impacts of this phenomenon on study results. Significant differences between non-responders and responders were found in lung diseases, medication and following background variables: age, gender, smoking, exercise, comorbidities and predisposing factors. Most non-responders were found among younger age-groups, smokers, electronic cigarette smokers, those with panic disorder or anxiety disorder and those being exposed to dust, gases and smoke in their working environment. Most responders were found among those receiving treatment/medication for dyspepsia or gastroesophageal reflux and the users of asthma medication. The results of this study can be used as a part of Epilung-study to assess the reliability of the effect of socioeconomic factors on respiratory health.

Background: Early origins of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been recognized. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is postulated to enable assessment of small airways function but limited data exist on the determinants of these proposed small airway indices, and on their sensitivity to detect lung function deficits in young children. Methods: IOS measurements of 103 healthy Finnish preschool children were evaluated to establish reference equations for the difference between respiratory resistance at 5 and 20 Hz (R5-20), the relative difference of R5-20 (R5-20%), and area under the reactance curve (AX). Thereafter, IOS results of young children with current troublesome lung symptoms (n=20), history of early wheeze (n=38), or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (n=8) were compared to those of healthy children. Results: Height was the best independent determinant for reference equations of R5-20 (r=-0.417), R5-20% (r=-0.236), and AX (r=-0.678). R5-20 and R5-20% also showed variability with gender (p<0.05). Z-scores of R5-20, R5-20%, and AX appeared significantly higher in symptomatic than in healthy children (p<0.001), whereas respiratory resistance and reactance at 5 Hz (R5 and X5) differed from healthy only in children with history of BPD. Conclusions: R5-20, R5-20%, and AX are superior to conventional IOS parameters in distinguishing symptomatic children from the healthy ones. These parameters may prove valuable for screening early lung function deficits.