Asthma in the elderly: Current understanding and future research needs-a report of a National Institute on Aging (NIA) workshop.

Asthma

in the

elderly

is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and there is a paucity of knowledge on the subject. The

National

Institute

on

Aging

convened this

workshop

to identify what is known and what gaps in knowledge remain and suggest

research

directions needed to improve the

understanding

and care of

asthma

in the

elderly

.

Asthma

presenting at an advanced age often has similar clinical and physiologic consequences as seen with younger patients, but comorbid illnesses and the psychosocial effects of

aging

might affect the diagnosis, clinical presentation, and care of

asthma

in this population. At least 2 phenotypes exist among

elderly

patients with

asthma

; those with longstanding

asthma

have more severe airflow limitation and less complete reversibility than those with late-onset

asthma

. Many challenges exist in the recognition and treatment of

asthma

in the

elderly

. Furthermore, the pathophysiologic mechanisms of

asthma

in the

elderly

are likely to be different from those seen in young asthmatic patients, and these differences might influence the clinical course and outcomes of

asthma

in this population.