Abstract
BackgroundAsthma and osteoarthritis (OA) are medical conditions that inhibit physical activity and adversely affect quality of life. Despite the high prevalence, there are limited studies focusing on the comorbid condition and association between asthma and OA. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of OA co-occurring with asthma and to identify the relevant clinical considerations.MethodsAdult participants aged over 40 years who completed questionnaire assessments and spirometry tests were enrolled from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Asthma and OA were defined based on the medical history of a diagnosis made by a doctor. Radiographic severities of OA were measured using the Kellgren–Lawrence grading system. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as a comparative respiratory disease, was diagnosed based on the spirometric results.ResultsA total of 9344 subjects were enrolled, and the prevalence of asthma and COPD were 4.6% ± 0.3% and 12.0% ± 0.5%, respectively. The prevalence of OA in the asthma group was 31.9% ± 2.8%, which was significantly higher than that in the COPD (17.8% ± 1.5%) or control (16.2% ± 0.6%) groups. OA was more prevalent in patients with asthma after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.27–2.13). Furthermore, after adjustment of this model for the prescription of OA medication, OA remained independently associated with asthma (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.10–2.20). Conversely, the relationship of OA medication with asthma was not significant (P = 0.64). This relationship was evident in patients with asthma without airflow limitation measured by spirometry (OR 1.97; 95% CI 1.32–2.93). Moreover, the radiographic severity of knee OA correlated with asthma (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.0–1.21).ConclusionsOA shows a high prevalence in patients with asthma, higher than in patients with COPD or the controls. The comorbid characteristics of these two conditions need to be considered in clinical practice.
Highlights
Asthma and osteoarthritis (OA) are medical conditions that inhibit physical activity and adversely affect quality of life
Study design and participants The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a collection of nationally representative, cross-sectional, population-based health and nutritional surveys conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) since 1998
425 patients had self-reported asthma, and 1131 had Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on the spirometric measurements
Summary
Asthma and osteoarthritis (OA) are medical conditions that inhibit physical activity and adversely affect quality of life. There are limited studies focusing on the comorbid condition and associa‐ tion between asthma and OA. The Global Initiative for Asthma reports that the prevalence of this disease ranges from 1 to 18% in different countries [3], and it accounts for about 1% of all disability-adjusted life years lost [4]. OA is prevalent in female patients, its prevalence increases with age (≥ 50 years), and it more frequently affects the joints of the hands and knees [6]. Older patients with joint pain have limited physical activity that affects their quality of life (QOL) [7]
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