Childhood asthma relapse in early adulthood

Asthma relapse is commonly seen in early adulthood in people who experienced a reduction in asthma symptoms in childhood.Potential employers of young adults, such as the armed services or police department, often seek advice on the likelihood of future relapse in individuals who had asthma in childhood. Researchers from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, investigated how often relapse of asthma occurred, and any risk factors for relapse, in 68 individuals during an 8-year follow-up period.

The participants were 18 years old at the start of the study and had a history of asthma but were in remission at that age. Sixteen patients reported wheezing at 21 years of age, which persisted at 26 years of age in 8 subjects, for an overall relapse rate of 35 per cent. The team noticed some clinical differences between those who relapsed and those who didn't, but these weren't significant from a statistical standpoint.However, house dust mite sensitisation at 13 years of age and lower lung function at 18 years of age were independent risk factors for asthma relapse.

It was found that subsequent relapse of previously diagnosed asthma in remission at 18 years of age occurs in one in three young adults. Such relapse is not easily predicted, especially by measurements of airway responsiveness.
It is prudent for patients with previous asthma to avoid certain high-risk occupations.