Asthma in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Real-World Burden and Outcomes.

What was studied

This review looked at older adults with asthma during the past decade. It focused on how common asthma is. It also covered diagnosis and current management. It also asked why asthma stays underdiagnosed and undertreated in this age group.

What they found

Asthma is becoming more common among older adults worldwide. This is most true in developed regions and Asia. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment remain common. Diagnosis is hard because of atypical symptoms, other illnesses and overlap with COPD. Standard diagnostic criteria have limits. Patients face barriers. These include low health literacy, poor inhaler technique and symptom misattribution. Psychological illness and limited social support also play a part. Access to biologic therapies is uneven. Precision medicine for older adults is lacking.

What it means for patients

The authors call asthma in older adults an important and underrecognised public health issue. They say better awareness is needed. They name age-adapted diagnostic protocols and better inhaler education. They also name more integrated care of other illnesses.

Why it is not certain yet

The abstract gives no numbers for how common asthma is. It gives no rating of the quality of the studies. A review can only be as good as the studies in it.

Source

Asthma in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Real-World Burden and Outcomes.

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