Læknablaðið - 15.09.2011, Blaðsíða 15

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ENGLISH SUMMARY
Prevalence of respiratory symptoms and use of asthma drugs are increasing among young adult lcelanders
Sigurkarlsson S, Clausen M, Gíslason T, Gíslason D
Introduction: In the year 1990 the European Community Respiratory Health Survey I (ECRHS I) demonstrated that the prevalence of these diseases
was lowest in lceland (www.ecrhs.org). In order to compare the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in Reykjavik over time, a new identical cross-
sectional study was performed seventeen years later.
Material and methods: Both cohorts, were in the age group 20-44 years and randomly selected from the population in Reykjavik and suburbs. Both
answered questionnaires about respiratory symptoms, nasal allergy and use of anti-asthmatic drugs. The second cohort was part of the EuroPrevall
study (www.europrevall.org) performed in 2007.
Results: Response rate was lower in 2007 (999 or 43.2%) than in 1990 (2.903 or 80.6%).The prevalence of attacks of asthma increased over time
from 2.2% to 6.7% (p<0.0001), use of anti-asthmatic drugs increased from 2.4% to 7.2% (p<0.0001) and nasal allergy symptoms from 17.8% to
29.3% (p< 0.0001). There was an increase of all respiratory symptoms except wheezing or whistling, where the prevalence dropped from 18.0% to
14.4% (p<0.01). In the year 2007 women had more often been woken by attacks of coughing (p<0.0001), had more often attacks of asthma (p<0.05)
and were more likely to use anti-asthmatic drugs (p<0.05) than men. Attacks of asthma and the use of anti-asthmatic drugs were more common
among the younger age group in the year 2007. That was not seen in the year 1990.
Conclusion: This study provides evidence of an increase in respiratory symptoms and use of anti-asthmatic drugs over a period of 17 years from
1990 among young adult lcelanders.
Key words: Prevalence, asthma, ECRHS.
Correspondence: Davið Gíslason, davidgis@simnet.is
LÆKNAblaðið 2011/97 467