Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may originate in early life and share disease mechanisms with asthma-like symptoms in early childhood. This possibility remains unexplored on account of the lack of long-term prospective studies from infancy to the onset of COPD. Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between asthma-like symptoms in young children and development of COPD. Methods: In a population-based cohort of women who gave birth at the central hospital in Copenhagen during period from 1959 to 1961, we investigated data from 3290 mother-child pairs who attended examinations during pregnancy and when the children were aged 1, 3, and 6 years. COPD was assessed from the Danish national registries on hospitalizations and prescription medication since 1994. A subgroup of 930 individuals underwent spirometry testing at age 50 years. Results: Of the 3290 children, 1 in 4 had a history of asthma-like symptoms in early childhood. The adjusted hazard ratio for hospitalization for COPD was 1.88 (95% CI = 1.32-2.68), and the odds ratio for prescription of long-acting muscarinic antagonists was 2.27 (95% CI = 1.38-3.70). Asthma-like symptoms in early childhood were also associated with a reduced FEV1 percent predicted and an FEV1-to–forced vital capacity ratio at age 50 years (–3.36% [95% CI = –5.47 to –1.24] and –1.28 [95% CI = –2.17 to –0.38], respectively) and with COPD defined according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage higher than 1 (odds ratio = 1.96 [95% CI = 1.13-3.34]). Conclusion: This 60-year prospective follow-up of a mother-child cohort demonstrated a doubled risk for COPD from childhood asthma-like symptoms.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |
Volume | 147 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 569-576 |
Number of pages | 8 |
ISSN | 0091-6749 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- Asthma
- cohort study
- COPD