Mucus hypersecretion in asthma is associated with rhinosinusitis, polyps and exacerbations

• Published in: Respiratory medicine 2018-02, Vol.135, p.22-28
• Main Authors: Martínez-Rivera, Carlos, Crespo, Astrid, Pinedo-Sierra, Celia, García-Rivero, Juan L., Pallarés-Sanmartín, Abel, Marina-Malanda, Núria, Pascual-Erquicia, Silvia, Padilla, Alicia, Mayoralas-Alises, Sagrario, Plaza, Vicente, López-Viña, Antolín, Picado, César
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Allergies; Anosmia; Asthma; Asthma - complications; Asthma - genetics; Asthma - physiopathology; Asthma - psychology; Asthma phenotype; Body mass index; Bronchitis; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Committees; Cough; Cough - epidemiology; Cough - physiopathology; Councils; Disease control; Disease Progression; Dyspnea; Female; Humans; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; Mucus; Mucus - secretion; Mucus hypersecretion; Nasal polyps; Olfaction disorders; Olfaction Disorders - physiopathology; Patients; Phenotype; Pneumonia; Polyposis; Polyps; Polyps - complications; Polyps - epidemiology; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - physiopathology; Pulmonary functions; Quality of Life; Quality standards; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Respiration; Respiratory function; Respiratory Function Tests - methods; Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract diseases; Rhinitis; Rhinosinusitis; Sinusitis; Sinusitis - complications; Sinusitis - epidemiology; Skin; Society; Spain - epidemiology; Sputum; Sputum - secretion; Thoracic surgery
• ISSN: 0954-6111; 1532-3064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2017.12.013

Bronchial hypersecretion is a poorly studied symptom in asthma. The aim of the study was to determine the specific characteristics of asthmatics with bronchial hypersecretion. A total of 142 asthmatics (21.8% men; mean age 49.8 years) were prospectively followed for one year. Mucus hypersecretion was clinically classified into two severity categories: daily sputum production and frequent expectoration but not every day. Clinical and pulmonary function variables associated with mucus hypersecretion were assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Daily cough was recorded in 28.9% of patients and sputum production daily or most of the days in 52.1%. Patients with mucus hypersecretion had more dyspnoea, poorer asthma control and quality of life, had suffered from more exacerbations and showed anosmia associated with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis more frequently. Factors associated to mucus hypersecretion were anosmia, one exacerbation or more in the previous year and FEV1/FVC