PREVALENCE OF ASTHMA IN ELDERLY FINNS

There is uncertainty about the prevalence of asthma even in countries in which extensive epidemiological surveys have been carried out and a ttention has been drawn to a probable increase in prevalence. A cross- sectional epidemiological survey of asthma in the population aged 64 y ears or over was carried out in the rural district of Lieto, Finland. All 1196 participants (488 men and 708 women, 93% of those eligible) w ere examined and individually assessed using a set of criteria for ast hma. The prevalence of current asthma was 2.9% in the men and 3.8% in the women and it accounted for about 40% of the cumulative (life-time) prevalence of self-reported asthma. Current asthma was uncommon in me n aged 75 years or over and no cases were found in men who smoked. Cur rent asthma in women was associated with low social status, smoking an d dusty working conditions in the past. The difference in prevalence b etween the men and women was greatest among the smokers, which may be due to a previous high mortality among elderly asthmatic men who had b een smoking, or a lack of the typical characteristics of asthma in men with long histories of smoking. The prevalence of asthma was similar to that obtained earlier in Finland and elsewhere.