Prevalence of bronchial asthma in young people living in industrial city

Abstract

Aim. To reveal the true prevalence of asthma in young people living in a large industrial city. Methods. 1518 young persons aged 18-44 years (males - 698, females - 820, mean age 30.34±5.7 years) who attended outpatient clinics of the Clinical Hospital №4 of Chelyabinsk (12.9% of the total population served by the hospital) were randomly picked out. Respondents surveys were conducted, the determination of total immunoglobulin E levels were measured, patients underwent spirometry and were consulted by pulmonologist. Results. Diagnosis of bronchial asthma has been previously confirmed in 2.8% of patients, while in accordance with the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria (2013), the true prevalence is 7.8%. In patients with newly diagnosed bronchial asthma body mass index was 26.32±6.3 kg/m2 compared to 24.53±4.9 kg/m2 in patients without asthma; level of total immunoglobulin E was 259.6±16.5 ME/ml vs 47.8±12,6 ME/ml respectively. Not only a decrease in spirometric indices of respiratory function (forced expiratory volume in 1st second (FEV1) was 69.2±8.1% of the expected value vs 105.6±9.1% in the group of healthy individuals, FEV1/FVC (forced vital capacity) ratio - 75.62±13.7% vs 84.2±12.9% respectively), but also a significant increase in total lung capacity (up to 94.5±18,8% of the expected value compared to 78.1±14.1% in the group of healthy subjects) and the residual lung volume (up to 102.2±14.5% vs 79.5±5.9% respectively), was registered in newly diagnosed patients with bronchial asthma indicating pathological process in the small airways, even in patients with small term of the disease. Conclusion. The incidence of bronchial asthma is more than 3 times higher than the official statistics report; in individuals with newly diagnosed bronchial asthma higher body mass index and total immunoglobulin E levels were registered in comparison with the general population.