CLINICAL FORUM Chronic cough and phlegm in young adults

Chronic cough and phlegm in young adults. I. Cerveri, S. Accordini, A. Corsico, M.C. Zoia, L. Carrozzi, L. Cazzoletti, M. Beccaria, A. Marinoni, G. Viegi, R. de Marco, for the ISAYA Study Group. #ERS Journals Ltd 2003. ABSTRACT: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines underline that the presence of chronic cough and sputum production before airflow obstruction offers a unique opportunity to identify subjects at risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for an early intervention. Current epidemiological data on these subjects are scant. Between 1998–2000, the authors evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of these symptoms by a multicentre cross-sectional survey of Italian people aged between 20–44 yrs from the general population (Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA)). Besides the questions on asthma, more than 18,000 subjects answered the question: "Have you had cough and phlegm on most days for as much as 3 months per year and for at least two successive years?" The adjusted prevalence of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm was 11.9%, being 11.8% in males and 12.0% in females. From these subjectsy20% reported coexisting asthma and y30%, predominately females, were nonsmokers. The survey showed that sex (female), smoking and low socioeconomic status were significantly and independently associated with chronic cough and phlegm, current smoking playing the major role. The prevalence of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm is startlingly high among young adults. Further follow-up studies are needed to establish how many of them will go on to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir J 2003; 22: 413–417. *Division of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo and Dept of Applied Health Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Verona, Verona, CardioThoracic Dept, University and Hospital of Pisa, and § CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.