Asthma deaths in North Carolina: 1999-2016

Rural Health Disparities in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunologic Diseases: The Current State and Future Direction for Clinical Care and Research

Rural health disparities are well documented and continue to jeopardize the long-term health and wellness for the millions of individuals who live in rural America. The disparities observed between urban and rural residents encompass numerous morbidity and mortality measures for several chronic diseases and have been referred to as the "rural mortality penalty." Although the unmet health needs of rural communities are widely acknowledged, little is known about rural health disparities in allergies, asthma, and immunologic diseases. Furthermore, the intersection between rural health disparities and social determinants of health has not been fully explored. To achieve a more complete understanding of the factors that perpetuate rural health disparities, greater research efforts followed by improved practice and policy are needed that account for the complex social context within rural communities rather than a general comparison between urban and rural environments or focusing on biomedical factors. Moreover, research efforts must prioritize community inclusion throughout rural areas through meaningful engagement of stakeholders in both clinical care and research. In this review, we examine the scope of health disparities in the rural United States and the impact of social determinants of health. We then detail the current state of rural health disparities in the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology. To close, we offer future considerations to address knowledge gaps and unmet needs for both clinical care and research in addressing rural health disparities.

Asthma mortality among Mexican children: Rural and urban comparison and trends, 1999-2016

OBJECTIVE

Although there are more studies showing higher asthma prevalence in urban rather than rural zones, few assessed asthma mortality by zone in children. The objective of this study is to compare asthma mortality rates (AMR) by zone of residence of Mexican children.

DESIGN

Using national death certificate and population projections data, AMR were compared in children aged 0 to 14 years by gender, age group, and zone of residence from 1999 to 2016. AMR trends were calculated using Joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

Of the 680 823 deaths, 2464 (0.36%) were due to asthma. Asthma mortality was higher in rural (0.65%) than urban (0.26%) zones, P < .0001. Whole period AMR median was also higher in rural vs urban zones (0.6 vs 0.3, respectively), P < .05. The average annual percent change (AAPC) of AMR for the whole period was -5.1 in all children with a higher percent decrease in rural vs urban zones (girls' AAPC = -6.3 vs -4.1, respectively and boys' AAPC = -4.8 vs -4.2, respectively). AMR decreased in children aged 0 to 4 from both zones (rural's AAPC: girls = -7.9, boys = -5.2; urban's AAPC: girls = -5.1, boys = -5.4), P < .05. No trend was found in children aged 5 to 14.

CONCLUSIONS

Asthma mortality in Mexican children is higher in rural than urban zones. The decrease of mortality over time in early childhood is reassuring. More research is needed to determine reasons for higher mortality in rural Mexico and for the lack of a favorable decreasing trend in children aged 5 to 14 from both zones.

Independent risk factors for death in patients admitted for asthma exacerbation in Taiwan

The independent risk factors for death in patients admitted for asthma exacerbation have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to investigate these independent risk factors and the relationship between mortality and the prescription patterns of anti-asthmatic medications in patients admitted for asthma exacerbation. Using a nested case-control design, we identified 267 cases (death after asthma admission) and 1035 controls (survival after asthma admission) from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2001 to 2010. Conditional logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We identified the independent risk factors for death as the comorbidities of pneumonia (aOR 3.82, 95% CI 2.41-6.05), genitourinary disease (aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.17-2.62), septicemia (aOR 4.26, 95% CI 2.61-6.94), diabetes mellitus (aOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.30-3.38), arrhythmia (aOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.14-3.50), and a history of asthmatic hospitalization (aOR 4.48, 95% CI 2.77-7.25). Moreover, the use of short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) and the dosage of oral corticosteroids (OCSs) >70 mg prednisolone during previous hospitalization (all p < 0.05) and the dosage of OCSs ≥110 mg prednisolone/month (aOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.08-4.50) during outpatient treatment independently increased the risk of death. The inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) ≥4 canisters/year (aOR 0.39, 95% CI 0.19-0.78) independently reduced the risk of death. Specific comorbidities, asthma severity, and prescription patterns of SABA, OCSs, and ICSs were independently associated with mortality in patients admitted for asthma exacerbation. These results can be utilized to help physicians identify asthmatic patients who are at a higher mortality risk and to refine the management of the condition.

Distinct asthma phenotypes with low maximal attainment of lung function on cluster analysis

OBJECTIVE

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with varying clinical presentations, severity and ability to achieve asthma control. The present study aimed to characterize clinical phenotypes of asthma in an Indian cohort of subjects using a cluster analysis approach.

METHODS

Patients with confirmed asthma (N = 100) and at least 6-months of follow-up data, identified by retrospective chart review, were included in this study. Demographics, age at disease onset, disease duration, body mass index, serial spirometry and allergen sensitization were assessed. Asthma control was assessed prospectively using Global Initiative for Asthma and Asthma Control Test. R version 3.4.3 was used for statistical analysis. Ward's minimum-variance hierarchical clustering method was performed using an agglomerative (bottom-up) approach. To compare differences between clusters, analysis of variance using Kruskal-Wallis test (continuous variables) and chi-square test (categorical variables) was used.

RESULTS

Cluster analysis of 100 treatment-naive patients with asthma identified four clusters. Cluster 1, (N = 40), childhood onset of disease, normal body weight, equal gender distribution and achieved normal lung function. Cluster 2 (N = 16) included adolescent disease-onset, obese, majority males and had poor attainment of maximum lung functions. Cluster 3 (N = 20) were older, late-onset of disease, obese, majority male and had poor attainment of maximum lung function. Cluster 4 (N = 24) had adult-onset of disease, obese, predominantly female and achieved normal lung function.

CONCLUSIONS

In an Indian cohort of well-characterized patients with asthma, cluster analysis identified four distinct clinical phenotypes of asthma, two of which had poor attainment of maximum lung functions.