Asthma in the elderly: What we do not know yet but should find out.

摘要

Asthma in the elderly is an extraordinarily complex disease. This conference brings together the present knowledge on diagnosis, epidemiology, and management, but there are still many unanswered questions, particularly about pathogenesis. The network of intercellular and intracellular signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the relationship between these airway diseases are exceedingly complex. Elderly asthmatic patients who smoked often have both diseases, and they often have additional lung diseases, particularly bronchiectasis with segmental fibrosis. The pathogenesis of asthma itself, however, is presumably similar to that seen in younger adults, except for age-related changes in the immune response.1'2 The purpose of this address is to suggest particular areas for future research into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of asthma in the elderly.