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Risk of Asthma in Young Adults Who Were Born Preterm: A Swedish National Cohort Study

Crump, Casey ; Winkleby, Marilyn A. ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2011) In Pediatrics 127(4). p.913-920
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Preterm birth is associated with asthma-like symptoms in childhood and possibly in adolescence, but the longer-term risk of asthma is unknown and increasingly relevant as larger numbers of these individuals enter adulthood. Our objective was to evaluate whether those who were born preterm are more likely to be prescribed asthma medications in young adulthood than those who were born term. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a national cohort study of all singleton infants born in Sweden from 1973 through 1979 (n = 622 616), followed to ages 25.5 to 35.0 years to determine whether asthma medications were prescribed in 2005-2007. Asthma medication data were obtained from all outpatient and inpatient pharmacies throughout Sweden. To... (More)
OBJECTIVE: Preterm birth is associated with asthma-like symptoms in childhood and possibly in adolescence, but the longer-term risk of asthma is unknown and increasingly relevant as larger numbers of these individuals enter adulthood. Our objective was to evaluate whether those who were born preterm are more likely to be prescribed asthma medications in young adulthood than those who were born term. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a national cohort study of all singleton infants born in Sweden from 1973 through 1979 (n = 622 616), followed to ages 25.5 to 35.0 years to determine whether asthma medications were prescribed in 2005-2007. Asthma medication data were obtained from all outpatient and inpatient pharmacies throughout Sweden. To improve the positive predictive value for asthma, the outcome was defined as prescription of (1) both a beta-2 agonist inhalant and a glucocorticoid inhalant or (2) a combination inhalant containing a beta-2 agonist and other drugs for obstructive airway diseases. RESULTS: Young adults who were born extremely preterm (23-27 weeks' gestation) were 2.4 times more likely (adjusted 95% CI: 1.41-4.06) to be prescribed asthma medications than those who were born term. No association was found between later preterm birth (28-32 or 33-36 weeks' gestation) and asthma medications in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study with sufficient statistical power to evaluate the risk of asthma beyond adolescence in individuals who were born extremely preterm. The results suggest that extreme preterm birth (23-27 weeks' gestation), but not later preterm birth, is associated with an increased risk of asthma at least into young adulthood. Pediatrics 2011; 127: e913-e920 (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
adult, asthma, premature birth
in
Pediatrics
volume
127
issue
4
pages
913 - 920
publisher
American Academy of Pediatrics
external identifiers
  • wos:000289074800008
  • scopus:79953300094
  • pmid:21422091
ISSN
1098-4275
DOI
10.1542/peds.2010-2603
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
677b68cf-7ffc-4441-9835-ef92824cdcb3 (old id 1918331)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:26:23
date last changed
2022-04-21 21:41:46
@article{677b68cf-7ffc-4441-9835-ef92824cdcb3,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVE: Preterm birth is associated with asthma-like symptoms in childhood and possibly in adolescence, but the longer-term risk of asthma is unknown and increasingly relevant as larger numbers of these individuals enter adulthood. Our objective was to evaluate whether those who were born preterm are more likely to be prescribed asthma medications in young adulthood than those who were born term. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a national cohort study of all singleton infants born in Sweden from 1973 through 1979 (n = 622 616), followed to ages 25.5 to 35.0 years to determine whether asthma medications were prescribed in 2005-2007. Asthma medication data were obtained from all outpatient and inpatient pharmacies throughout Sweden. To improve the positive predictive value for asthma, the outcome was defined as prescription of (1) both a beta-2 agonist inhalant and a glucocorticoid inhalant or (2) a combination inhalant containing a beta-2 agonist and other drugs for obstructive airway diseases. RESULTS: Young adults who were born extremely preterm (23-27 weeks' gestation) were 2.4 times more likely (adjusted 95% CI: 1.41-4.06) to be prescribed asthma medications than those who were born term. No association was found between later preterm birth (28-32 or 33-36 weeks' gestation) and asthma medications in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study with sufficient statistical power to evaluate the risk of asthma beyond adolescence in individuals who were born extremely preterm. The results suggest that extreme preterm birth (23-27 weeks' gestation), but not later preterm birth, is associated with an increased risk of asthma at least into young adulthood. Pediatrics 2011; 127: e913-e920}},
  author       = {{Crump, Casey and Winkleby, Marilyn A. and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{1098-4275}},
  keywords     = {{adult; asthma; premature birth}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{913--920}},
  publisher    = {{American Academy of Pediatrics}},
  series       = {{Pediatrics}},
  title        = {{Risk of Asthma in Young Adults Who Were Born Preterm: A Swedish National Cohort Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-2603}},
  doi          = {{10.1542/peds.2010-2603}},
  volume       = {{127}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}