Effect of Age on Response to Treatment in Adult Patients with Severe Persistent Asthma

BACKGROUND: Due to current controversies regarding the effect of age on response to treatment in asthmatic patient, the present study was performed on patients referred with acute asthma attack for further evaluation of this matter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 138 patients with severe persistent asthma were enrolled and divided into two categories of young (age ≤35 yrs; 82 cases, mean age = 25.2±7.3 years) and elderly subjects (≥50 yrs; 56 cases, mean age 57.4±6.4 years). Response to treatment was determined by pulmonary function tests. RESULTS: The mean percentage change of FEV1 from baseline in male and female patients of young and old age was 75.05±46.61 and 71.39±41.30%, (P = 0.721) and 100.79±51.34% and 69±37.39% (P = 0.015), respectively. The mean percentage of possible improvement of FEV1 among male and female patients of young and old age was 62.81±25.67% and 54.46±23.82% (P = 0.148), and 78±24.04% and 63.58±41.24% (P = 0.087); respectively. CONCLUSION: Response to treatment was significant in both young and old age groups suffering from acute asthmatic attack except for young female patients in which, percentage change of FEV1 increased compared to older patients. Among other patients this value and percentage of possible improvement of FEV1 between the 2 groups did not change significantly and age did not play a significant role in assessing the response to treatment in acute asthmatic attack.