Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of the Patients with Asthma Susceptible to Symptom Exacerbation by Environmental Triggers in Cohort for Reality and Evolution of Adult Asthma in Korea (COREA)

Abstract

Background: Patients with asthma are susceptible to recurrent exacerbation especially when they are exposed to environmental or occupational triggers. But it is not well defined regarding what kind of clinical characteristics is associated with this predisposition. This study was to assess differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between patients with susceptibility of asthma exacerbation to common environmental triggers and those without it. Methods: The Cohort for Reality and Evolution of Adult Asthma in Korea (COREA) study is a prospective, observational multi-center study and will be conducted for nine years (2005-2013) in Korea. Cross sectional data of baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between patients with susceptibility to environmental triggers and those without it based on self reported questionnaire at the time of enrollment. Results: In trigger-susceptible asthmatics, who reported recurrent exacerbation by environmental triggers, the proportion of females and prevalence of rhinosinusitis were higher compared with trigger-tolerant asthmatics, while there was no significant differences in age, duration of asthma symptoms, total serum IgE levels, skin prick test positive, percent predicted FVC and FEV1, physician-assessed severity, PC20, and percent eosinophil count in induced sputum. Conclusion: These findings suggest that female sex and rhinosinusitis are significantly associated with the susceptibility of symptom exacerbation in patients with asthma.