Asthma in the elderly is often underdiagnosed or diagnosed as COPD, thus leading to under treatment of improper treatment. This is also due to the heterogeneity of clinical and functional presentations of geriatric asthma, including the partial loss of reversibility and the lower occurrence of the allergic component in this age range. The management of asthma in the elderly follows international guidelines that apply to all ages, although most recommendations are an arbitrary extrapolation of what has been tested in younger subjects.
The elderly patients may present cognitive dysfunction that results in a decreased memory, which in turn affects the compliance to the treatments. The pharmacological effect of systemic drugs may be affected by the reduced activity of kidney and liver and by the decrease in muscle mass, fat and body water. Despite advances in the management of asthma…
