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Review

The Diagnostic Differences of Asthma in the Elderly

by
Karolina Lindner
*,
Bernard Panaszek
and
Zbigniew Machaj
Katedra i Klinika Chorób Wewnętrznych i Alergologii Akademii Medycznej we Wrocławiu, ul. Traugutta 57/59, 50-417 Wrocław, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Adv. Respir. Med. 2008, 76(4), 246-252; https://doi.org/10.5603/ARM.27888
Submission received: 26 July 2007 / Revised: 22 June 2008 / Accepted: 22 June 2008 / Published: 22 June 2008

Abstract

Asthma is a common disease among elderly persons. The prevalence of asthma in subjects aged over 65 years is 6.5–17%. The diagnosis of asthma is based on typical symptoms with confirmatory information gained from physical examination and laboratory studies. Respiratory symptoms are less specific in older people. Additionally the clinical manifestations of asthma is complicated by co-morbidities, polypragmasy, underreporting of symptoms, cognitive impairment. Moreover, elderly patients are sometimes unable to perform pulmonary function tests. Consequently, discriminating asthma from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is difficult in this group of patients. The difficulties in differential diagnosis of asthma in older adults entails that disease in the elderly is often underdiagnosed and inadequately treated.
Keywords: asthma in the elderly; ageing; diagnosis; lung function; atopy asthma in the elderly; ageing; diagnosis; lung function; atopy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lindner, K.; Panaszek, B.; Machaj, Z. The Diagnostic Differences of Asthma in the Elderly. Adv. Respir. Med. 2008, 76, 246-252. https://doi.org/10.5603/ARM.27888

AMA Style

Lindner K, Panaszek B, Machaj Z. The Diagnostic Differences of Asthma in the Elderly. Advances in Respiratory Medicine. 2008; 76(4):246-252. https://doi.org/10.5603/ARM.27888

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lindner, Karolina, Bernard Panaszek, and Zbigniew Machaj. 2008. "The Diagnostic Differences of Asthma in the Elderly" Advances in Respiratory Medicine 76, no. 4: 246-252. https://doi.org/10.5603/ARM.27888

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