Chronic cough common, especially in older adults
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Chronic cough is common among adults living in Austria and is highly prevalent among older individuals, researchers reported in Respiratory Medicine.
Researchers conducted a study to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of chronic cough and characteristics of different phenotypes within the general population in Austria. Using the longitudinal, observational, population-based LEAD study, researchers analyzed questionnaire and spirometry data from 10,057 adults.
The prevalence of chronic cough, defined as coughing almost every day in the past 12 months for at least 3 consecutive months, was 9%.
Researchers did not identify a sex predominance of chronic cough; however, they reported a female preponderance of chronic cough (68%) among participants who reported never smoking.
In 85%, there was a presumable cause of chronic cough, in whom 53.9% had two phenotypes, 36.9% had one phenotype and 9.2% had three or more phenotypes. Of the distribution of phenotypes, 40.8% of participants were current smokers, 32.6% had used an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, 18.2% had GERD, 17.6% had asthmatic cough, 9.7% had upper airway cough syndrome and 28.3% had other diseases that were associated with chronic cough.
Fifteen percent of participants had unexplained chronic cough without an identifiable phenotype and 45.1% of these participants had a smoking history. The researchers reported significant differences in individuals with a smoking history of more than 20 pack-years, with the highest impact observed among those with 30-plus pack-years (P < .001).
In addition, older age, current smoking, low socioeconomic status, obesity, COPD and obstructive sleep apnea were identified as factors with chronic cough.
“This population-based study shows that chronic cough is a prevalent medical condition (9%), particularly in older individuals. The majority of individuals with chronic cough (85%) can be assigned to a specific phenotype by a simple questionnaire-based assessment and can therefore potentially receive specific treatment. Fifteen percent belong to the unexplained cough phenotype,” Hazim Abozid, MD, from the department of respiratory and critical care medicine at Clinic Penzing in Vienna, and colleagues wrote.