Quality of life and polysensitization in young men with intermittent asthma

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) represents an important variable in asthma management. To date, to our knowledge, no study has explored the relationship between HRQoL and sensitization in patients with asthma. Objective: To evaluate the relationships among HRQoL and sensitization, pulmonary function, and bronchial hyperreactivity in a group of young men with intermittent asthma. Methods: We studied 185 conscripts with intermittent asthma and bronchial hyperreactivity. The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire was used. Skin prick testing, spirometry, and methacholine challenge were performed in all participants. Results: The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire median scores were greater than 4, indicating suboptimal HRQoL. Polysensitization was significantly associated with the worst HRQoL, whereas pulmonary function and bronchial hyperreactivity category were not. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that HRQoL is associated with polysensitization in intermittent asthma and underlines the importance of evaluating this issue when managing young patients with slight respiratory symptoms.