Asthma care in the elderly: practical guidance and challenges for clinical management—a framework of 5 "Ps"

• Published in: Journal of asthma and allergy Vol. 16; pp. 33 - 43
• Main Authors: Khosa, Jaskiran K, Louie, Samuel, Lobo Moreno, Pamela, Abramov, Dmitry, Rogstad, Daniel K, Alismail, Abdullah, Matus, Michael J, Tan, Laren D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Age groups; Aging; Airway management; Asthma; Care and treatment; Caregivers; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Comorbidity; Diabetes mellitus; elderly; Epidemiology; Health care expenditures; Heart diseases; Hospitalization; Inflammation; Inhalers; Mortality; Neutrophils; Older people; Patients; Phenotypes; Population; Public health; Quality of life; Respiratory agents; Review; Steroids; uncontrolled asthma; United States > US; elderly; asthma; uncontrolled asthma
• ISSN: 1178-6965; 1178-6965
• DOI: 10.2147/jaa.s293081

Uncontrolled asthma in the elderly is a public health issue recognized in developed countries such as the United States and among the European Union, both from patient safety and economic perspectives. Variations in the cutoff, which defines elderly age, contribute to epidemiological study difficulties. Nonetheless, the relevance of elderly asthma from a socioeconomic perspective is inarguable. The projected growth of the enlarging geriatric population in the United States portends an impending national health burden that may or may not be preventable with pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments. Asthma in the elderly might be a consequence of uncontrolled disease that is carried throughout a lifetime. Or elderly asthmatics could suffer from uncontrolled asthma, which overlaps with other ailments common with advancing ages that merit consideration, eg, COPD, heart disease, OSA, diabetes mellitus, and other comorbidities. Because of the heterogeneity of asthma phenotypes and other conditions that could mimic the symptoms of elderly asthma, further cohort studies are needed to elucidate the elderly asthmatic pathophysiology and management. More studies to characterize elderly asthma can help address these patients' unmet need for evidence-based guidelines. We introduce the 5 "Ps" (phenotypes, partnership, pharmacology, practice in acute exacerbations, and problems or barriers for the elderly asthmatics) that establish a framework approach for clinical practice.