Older people with asthma run greater risks: study

A University of Cincinnati study recently published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), revealed that the death rate among the 65-and-over set is 14 times higher than in patients 18 to 35 years old.Researchers looked at 104 patients and found that those aged 65 and older who were obese were five times more likely to have poorly controlled asthma than those of average weight. The study also found that older patients with asthma may be more susceptible to the effects of traffic air pollution. The reason is unclear, but may be due to potentially impaired responses to highly reactive molecules produced in their bodies as they breathe in the polluted air, the researchers said.Older patients tend to have other medical conditions that can exacerbate asthma symptoms. They also are more likely to develop respiratory failure. And seniors with mild asthma attacks had the same level of breathing trouble as younger patients with severe attacks.