[Woman's asthma throughout life: Towards a personalized management?]

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Respiratory Symptoms Among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

No large, prospective study has investigated respiratory symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. We aimed to describe the prevalence of and factors associated with respiratory symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS

In an observational, prospective, cross-sectional study, we evaluated the frequency of respiratory symptoms using a validated self-reporting questionnaire from February 2019 to February 2021 during routine follow-up outpatient visits of patients with inflammatory bowel disease followed in the Gastroenterology Department of the Nancy University Hospital. In case of a positive questionnaire, patients were systematically offered a consultation with a pulmonologist in order to investigate a potential underlying respiratory disease.

RESULTS

There were 325 patients included, and 180 patients had a positive questionnaire (144 with Crohn's disease). Of the included patients, 165 (50.8%) presented with respiratory symptoms, with dyspnea being the most frequent symptom (102 patients). There were 102 patients (56.7%) who benefited from a consultation in the pulmonology department: 43 (42.2%) were diagnosed with a respiratory disease, mainly asthma (n = 13) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 10). Fourteen patients (13.7%) had obstructive sleep apnea. A body mass index increase, being a smoker or ex-smoker, and having articular extra-intestinal manifestations were independently associated with a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Half of patients with inflammatory bowel disease reported respiratory symptoms in our study. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease should be systematically screened, as pulmonary disease is frequently present in this population, with specific attention being given to smokers or ex-smokers and patients with extra-articular intestinal manifestations.

Personalized Treatment of Asthma: The Importance of Sex and Gender Differences

An individual's sex (nominally male or female, based on biological attributes) and gender (a complex term referring to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and expressions of identity) influence the clinical course of asthma in several ways. The physiologic development of the lungs and effects of sex hormones may explain why more boys than girls have asthma, and after puberty, more women than men have asthma. Female sex hormones have an impact throughout the life span and are associated with poor asthma control. Gender may influence exposure to asthma triggers, and sex and gender can influence the prevalence of comorbidities and interactions with health care professionals. Despite widely reported sex- and gender-based differences in asthma and asthma management, these issues frequently are not considered by health care professionals. There is also inconsistency regarding the use of "sex" and "gender" in scientific discourse; research is needed to define sex- and gender-based differences better and how they might interact to influence asthma outcomes. This review outlines the impact an individual's sex and gender can have on the pathogenesis, clinical course, diagnosis, treatment, and management of asthma.