Researchers of a new study say that female baby boomers may need better medical attention because of the severity of their illness.
Baby boomers are often at higher risk of many health issues including obesity and diabetes. They are also more likely to suffer from asthma with worse health outcomes. Owing to this, a new study suggests that baby boomers, especially females with asthma may need better medical attention as their risk of dying from the illness is higher.
"Allergists want older women to understand that getting their asthma under control can help them control a range of other adverse health conditions," said allergist Alan Baptist, lead study author and ACAAI member, in a press statement. "Recent studies have shown that older women with multiple health problems admit that asthma takes a backseat to other conditions. We want them, with the help of their allergists, to view controlling their asthma as a priority."
The study also noted that the asthma rate is no greater in older women than in other segments of the population, but related death rates are much higher. The asthma death rate among women older than 65 is nearly four times higher than in other groups.
"There is no doubt that women over 65 suffer from asthma much more than men over 65" said allergist James Sublett, ACAAI president-elect. "We hope that women with asthma will be encouraged by their primary care doctor to work with an allergist. Allergists are experts at creating personalized action plans to help patients identify triggers, and offer solutions for coping with asthma."
Poor asthma control among baby boomers might be a bigger problem than physicians realize. It applies to two separate groups of older adults: those diagnosed with asthma who are not caring for themselves properly and those yet to be diagnosed. Baby boomers have about the same risk for developing asthma as younger children and adults - at a rate of about 1 of every 1,000 people a year. Like in children, a family history of asthma and allergies increases the risk for adults.
A similar 2012 study pointed out that the death rate attributed to asthma for those aged 65-years and older is an astonishing 14 times higher than in younger patients. Yet it was found that the disease is often misdiagnosed and under treated, with only 53 percent of asthmatic boomers using prescribed inhalers. Other health risks, including increased allergy sensitivity, decreased lung function and significantly poorer quality of life, were found in this sample population of asthmatic baby boomers.
The current study was published online in the August issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
