Asthma control and adherence in newly diagnosed young and elderly adult patients with asthma in Turkey

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the factors that affect asthma control and adherence to treatment in newly diagnosed elderly asthmatics in Turkey compared with younger patients. Methods: This real-life prospective observational cohort study was conducted at 136 centers. A web-based questionnaire was administered to the patients who were followed up for 12 months. Results: Analysis included 1037 young adult asthma patients (age <65 years) and 79 elderly asthma patients (age ≥65 years). The percentage of patients with total control in the elderly and young groups were 33.9% and 37.1% at visit 1, 20.0% and 42.1% (p = 0.012) at visit 2, and 50.0% and 49.8% at visit 3, respectively. Adherence to treatment was similar for both groups. Visit compliance was better in the elderly group than in the young group at visit 1 (72.2% vs. 60.8%, p = 0.045), visit 2 (51.9% vs. 34.9%, p = 0.002), and visit 3 (32.9% vs. 19.4%, p = 0.004). Adherence to treatment increased with asthma control in both groups (both p < 0.001) but decreased with the presence of gastritis/ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux, and coronary artery disease in the elderly. Conclusions: Asthma control and adherence to treatment were similar for the elderly and young asthma patients, though the follow-up rate was lower in young patients. The presence of gastritis/ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux and coronary artery disease had negative impacts on the adherence to treatment in elderly adult patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Management/control
• treatment

Acknowledgements

We thank Oktay Ozdemir, who performed the data management and statistical analysis, and Murat Kirtis and Elif Ograli, who assisted in the writing and editing of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

All authors are members of the advisory board of the study and received payment from “Abdi Ibrahim Ilac San. ve Tic. AS, Turkey” for this study.

The ASKO Study Group consisted of the following centers (listed according to the number of patients enrolled): Gulden Bilgin, Ankara; Ahmet Cemal Pazarli, Kahramanmaraş; Fatma Toksoy, Trabzon; Mahmut Recper, Rize; Selma Altun, Trabzon; Semih Aganoglu, Rize; Hayrullah Golen, Sivas; Pelin Duru Cetinkaya, Adana; Neslihan Ozcelik, Trabzon; Ece Kaya, Manisa; Pinar Mutlu, Artvin; Aysegul Baysak, Izmir; Kahraman Sahin, Tekirdağ; Yavuz Havlucu, Manisa; Ayhan Gulsoy, Trabzon; Nilgun Yilmaz Demirci, Ankara; Ebru Celik, Ordu; Levent Cem Mutlu, Tekirdağ; Munevver Mertsoylu Aydin, Kayseri; Ahmet Akin, Sakarya; Ege Gulec Balbay, Duzce; Gokhan Asal, Antalya; Gulhan Bogatekin, Diyarbakir; Sevilay Cicek, Istanbul; Serife Torun, Konya; Yavuz Alp Yalcin, Izmir; Yildiz Ucar, Diyarbakır; Adem Yilmaz, Adana; Begum Kocar, Istanbul; Behiye Akkalyoncu, Ankara; Bilun Gemicioglu, Istanbul; Dilek Saka, Ankara; Emrah Batmaz, Igdir; Funda Senel, Istanbul; Hasan Ergen, Giresun; Ibrahim Kilic, Ankara; Mecit Suerdem, Konya; Mustafa Dundar Temelli, Çanakkale; Mustafa Faysal Baysal, Adana; Nazire Ucar, Ankara; Nurdan Kokturk, Ankara; Ozlem Olgunus, Adana; Serdar Polat, Diyarbakır; Utku Tapan, Karaman; Umit Ozbek, Muğla; Zeynep Bozkurt, Alanya; Aysel Talan, Nevsehir; Ayse Cosar, Sivas; Fatih Turan, Kocaeli; Kezban Yorukoglu, Balıkesir; Mehmet Altunisik, Malatya; Omur Aydin, Ankara; Seval Acar, Usak; Canan Bol, Kayseri; Ozcan Avci, Bursa; Sevtap Gulgosteren, Ankara; Aysegul Calli, Konya; Fatma Ciftci, Ankara; Hur Isguder, Tokat; Yeliz Karakan, Gaziantep; Zeki Yildirim, Bursa; Mine Onal, Ankara; Orhan Akkaya, Tarsus; Zafer Hasan Ali Sak, Sanliurfa; Banu Altoparlak, Istanbul; Erkan Yildirim, Tekirdağ; Goksel Saygin, Adana; Gul Seyda Keskin, Istanbul; Kamil Ozdemir, Bilecik; Mehmet Hakan Bilgin, Van; Suleyman Kalan, Isparta; Toros Ziya Selcuk, Ankara; Ayse Dalli, Diyarbakir; Murat Avsar, Kahramanmaraş; Didem Katar, Ankara; Ozgur Ince, Samsun; Ayla Kocatepe, Istanbul; Nesrin Yontem Gok, Konya; Tuba Kiratli Karakaya, Kütahya; Yalcin Dutkun, Aksaray; Esin Polat Yenturk, Istanbul; Hakan Koca, Izmir; Ismail Hanta, Adana; Nesrin Sariman, Istanbul; Oznur Abadoglu, Sivas; Ayse Bahadir, Istanbul; Tulay Yarkin, Istanbul; Engin Kirmizigul, Tunceli; Gulper Ozturk, Izmir; Hayrettin Gocmen, Bursa; Ilke Evciler, Izmir; Aysenaz Taskin Ozcan, Ankara; Ender Levent, Istanbul; Esat Hayat, Gumushane; Murat Sezer, Istanbul; Sabri Serhan Olcay, Kütahya; Sule Tas Gulen, Mardin; Yurdanur Sahin, Alanya; Fusun Fakili, Adiyaman; Metin Tek, Antalya; Nigar Halis, Istanbul; Ayse Gul Oney Kurnaz, Sanliurfa; Esma Ozturk, Denizli; Firdevs Kervan, Ankara; Huseyin Beyazit, Elazığ; Zeynep Atam Tasdemir, Istanbul; Evsen Coskun, Muğla; Ahmet Oguz Aktas, Istanbul; Aysenur Eroglu, Istanbul; Bahri Temuray, Osmaniye; Cenk Babayigit, Hatay; Suna Akbulut, Afyon; Aylin Celikhisar, Izmir; Aysun Sengul, Kocaeli; Goksel Bahadir, Istanbul; Hakan Celikhisar, Izmir; Kemal Can Tertemiz, Izmir; Zehra Dilek Kanmaz, Istanbul; Hakan Altinbas, Antalya; Hulya Koksal, Kirikkale; and Sule Kaya, Bayburt.

Additional information

Funding

The study is financially supported by “Abdi Ibrahim Ilac San. ve Tic. AS, Turkey.”