Quality of life and capsaicin sensitivity in patients with sensory airway hyperreactivity

Background: A group of patients with asthma-like symptoms and sensitivity t o chemical irritants has shown an increased cough sensitivity to inhaled ca psaicin compared to patients with asthma and to healthy controls. The condi tion is called sensory hyperreactivity (SHR), and the patients often feel t hat they are socially handicapped because of the risk of exposure to chemic al irritants in daily life. Methods: Twenty-six patients with asthma-like symptoms after exposure to no nspecific irritating stimuli, but without IgE-mediated allergy or demonstra ble bronchial obstruction, were selected for a study of the response to a c apsaicin test and measurement of quality of life by a general health profil e (the Nottingham Health Profile [NHP]). We also investigated whether there was a correlation between quality of life and sensitivity to capsaicin. Results: The patients demonstrated a dose-dependent response to the capsaic in provocation, with coughing and respiratory and other symptoms, that sign ificantly differed from 12 healthy controls. The health profile showed that patients with SHR had a significantly reduced quality of life compared to reference values, and there was a significant correlation between the healt h profile and sensitivity to capsaicin. Conclusions: Patients with asthma-like symptoms verified by the capsaicin i nhalation test for sensory hyperreactivity have a poor quality of life. The correlation between quality of life and sensitivity to capsaicin objective ly demonstrates the validity of this general health profile study.