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Complexities of Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Respiratory Disease in the Elderly

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Abstract

Atopic diseases such as rhinitis and asthma are relatively common in children and young adults. However, many patients aged >65 years are also affected by these disorders. Indeed, the literature suggests that between 3–12% and 4–13% of individuals in this age range have allergic rhinitis and asthma, respectively. However, these numbers are most likely underestimates because atopic diseases are frequently not considered in older patients. The diagnosis of both allergic rhinitis and asthma in older patients is more difficult than in younger patients because of a wide differential diagnosis of other diseases that can produce similar symptoms and must be excluded. Furthermore, treatment of these disorders is complicated by the potential for drug interactions, concern about the adverse effects of medications, in particular corticosteroids, and the lack of drug trials specifically targeting treatment of older patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma.

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Acknowledgements

Paula J. Busse was supported by a K08 NIH grant. No other sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this review. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.

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  1. Division of Clinical Immunology, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, Room 11-20, New York, New York, 10029, USA

    Paula J. Busse & Kiran Kilaru

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Busse, P.J., Kilaru, K. Complexities of Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Respiratory Disease in the Elderly. Drugs Aging 26, 1–22 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2165/0002512-200926010-00001

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