Childhood asthma in adults
-
Don Hayes
Abstract
Incidence and prevalence of asthma have increased in recent decades with the underlying reason remaining unclear. The majority of cases of persistent wheezing and asthma begin in early childhood, which primarily defines the individual's respiratory health throughout their lifetime. Nearly half of wheezing preschoolers “outgrow” their symptoms and commonly demonstrate reduced pulmonary function early on. Their pulmonary function typically improves by age 6 years but not to the levels of normal function as seen in those children that never wheezed. Inhaled corticosteroids are the primary first-line therapy for asthma, helping physicians gain control of clinical symptoms. However, research is demonstrating that these therapies do not prevent the development of airway dysfunction later in life. In fact, asthma is now described as a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clearly, the pathogenic mechanisms have not been identified in this process, and thus research needs to target this very important topic. A combination of genetic and environmental factors is probably the cause. To impact prevalence, morbidity and mortality, research needs to address whether steroid insensitivity is playing a role or are there other physiological mechanisms playing a role.
©2010 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Editorial
- Adults with childhood illness
- Reviews
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Epidemiology, assessment, and treatment among children, adolescents, and adults
- Caring for adults with cystic fibrosis
- Childhood asthma in adults
- Cyanotic congenital heart defects in adult patients
- Obstructive and regurgitant cardiac lesions in adults who had childhood heart disease
- Adults with left-to-right cardiac shunts and with shunts treated in childhood
- Transition of pediatric endocrine patients to adult care
- Adolescents and adults with inborn errors of metabolism
- Adults who had kidney disease in childhood
- Adult survivors of childhood cancer
- Adults with genetic syndromes
- Adult considerations of pediatric urologic care
- Adult patients with childhood anemias
- Disabled women and reproductive healthcare in the United States
- Children with allergic disease as adults
- Adults with congenital bleeding disorders
- Aging with intellectual disability. Current health issues
- Short Communication
- Transition from pediatric to adult care: social and family issues
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Editorial
- Adults with childhood illness
- Reviews
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Epidemiology, assessment, and treatment among children, adolescents, and adults
- Caring for adults with cystic fibrosis
- Childhood asthma in adults
- Cyanotic congenital heart defects in adult patients
- Obstructive and regurgitant cardiac lesions in adults who had childhood heart disease
- Adults with left-to-right cardiac shunts and with shunts treated in childhood
- Transition of pediatric endocrine patients to adult care
- Adolescents and adults with inborn errors of metabolism
- Adults who had kidney disease in childhood
- Adult survivors of childhood cancer
- Adults with genetic syndromes
- Adult considerations of pediatric urologic care
- Adult patients with childhood anemias
- Disabled women and reproductive healthcare in the United States
- Children with allergic disease as adults
- Adults with congenital bleeding disorders
- Aging with intellectual disability. Current health issues
- Short Communication
- Transition from pediatric to adult care: social and family issues
