Staniorski CJ, et al. - Authors aimed to compare the early-onset and late-onset asthma in a chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) population using patient-reported and clinical characteristics. No significant difference was seen in CRS-specific and asthma-specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) among groups. Nonetheless, CRS patients with late-onset asthma had poorer physical function, more frequent nasal polyposis, and required increased treatment for CRS. More severe disease in CRS could be predicted by late-onset asthma.

Methods

• CRS patients completed the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), Asthma Control Test (ACT), mini-Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (miniAQLQ), the 29-item Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29), and medication use questionnaires at enrollment into a clinical registry.
• At first asthma diagnosis, patients also reported comorbid asthma and age.
• Experts defined early-onset (<18 years) and late-onset (>18 years) asthma groups.
• In order to compare the patient responses, analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used.

Results

• As per the results, a total of 199 non-asthmatic (56.1%), 71 early-onset asthmatic (20.0%), and 85 late-onset asthmatic (23.9%) CRS patients completed the survey.
• Findings suggested that body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in late-onset asthmatic (p=0.046) while age, gender, race, and smoking history did not differ with time of asthma onset.
• Between asthma groups, SNOT-22, ACT, and miniAQLQ were not different, but late-onset asthmatics had notably lower physical function than non-asthmatics (p=0.008).
• Late-onset asthmatics demonstrated increased rates of nasal polyps (p < 0.001), higher Lund-Mackay scores (p=0.005), and had received more oral steroid courses (p < 0.001) and endoscopic surgeries (p=0.008) for CRS management than non-asthmatics.
• Compared to early-onset asthmatics, late-onset asthmatics showed increased nasal polyposis (p=0.011) and oral steroid courses for CRS (p=0.003).