Is asthma in the elderly different? Functional and clinical characteristics of asthma in individuals aged 65 years and older

Abstract Background The prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly (> 65 years), including asthma, is growing, yet information available on asthma in this population is scarce. Our objective is to determine the differential clinical and functional characteristics of the population > 65 years old with asthma included in the Integrated Research Programs of Asthma Databank of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (www.bancodatosasma.com). Methods Retrospective comparative descriptive study of demographic, clinical and functional variables for 1713 patients with asthma categorized into 3 age groups as follows: adults aged  65 is more severe and associated with greater comorbidity, which would indicate the need for a more integrated and multidimensional approach to asthma treatment for these patients