Researchers of a new study have found that menopausal women are more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than men of the same age.
The number of people suffering from asthma has continued to increase over the years. According to recent reports, 8 percent of the U.S. population, accounting for over 25 million Americans, suffers from the disease. Most of these patients are adult women and young boys.
Researchers of a new study found that menopausal women in their 40s and 50s are more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than men of the same age.
"Until puberty, boys have higher rates of asthma than girls," said Robert Yao-wen Lin, MD, allergist and lead study author in a press statement. "Then, during the menopausal years, women's hospitalization rates are double those of men in the same age group. This could indicate that asthma may have distinct biological traits."
The study, which was published in the September issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, used data from the 2000-2010 National Impatient Sample databases. Researchers calculate the ratio of female to male hospitalization rates for different decades of adult life. The highest rate of difference was found in the fifth and six decade.
"This study reinforces that asthma is a women's health issue," said John Oppenheimer, MD, ACAAI Fellow and associate editor of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "There is a need for more prevention and early intervention to reduce asthma hospitalization in menopausal women and reduce healthcare costs."
To avoid such incidences, researchers from The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest that women in their 40s and 50s with asthma should consult their doctors about whether they need to change their medications. They should also be well informed about how to keep their asthma under check to avoid emergency treatment.
Asthma is characterized by inflammation of the air passages resulting in the temporary narrowing of the airways that transport air from the nose and mouth to the lungs. Asthma symptoms can be caused by allergens or irritants that are inhaled into the lungs, resulting in inflamed, clogged and constricted airways. Symptoms include difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing tightness in the chest. In severe cases, asthma can be deadly. There is not cure for the disease but attacks can be prevented by taking proper precautions.
