A history of asthma in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease heightened the risk for disease-related hospitalizations, according to a population study published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Over a median of 2.9 years, patients reported to the hospital for the first time for COPD-related (712 patients / 8%), respiratory-related (964 /11%) and cardiovascular-related (342 /4%) events. In addition, 556 patients died (6%).
Data showed that COPD and respiratory-related hospitalizations were significantly associated with a history of asthma (HR 1.53, and HR 1.63, respectively). Conversely, cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and all-cause mortality were not associated with history of asthma.
