The impact of gender on asthma in the daily clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES: It is up-to-date to consider the potential gender impact on a disease. There are few data about gender difference in asthma. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study tested this hypothesis in a real-life setting to investigate possible difference between genders.

METHODS: This study was cross-sectional, considering 554 consecutive outpatients suspected of asthma, who were referred for a first specialist visit. Clinical and functional parameters were evaluated.

RESULTS: Females with asthma could have a worse perception of asthma control, assessed by asthma control test (ACT), and more anxiety than asthmatic males. However, there was no difference regarding asthma control grading, asthma severity, and asthma medication use between genders; the differences in lung function were without clinical relevance.

CONCLUSIONS: In the daily clinical practice, it is relevant to consider gender in the management of asthma.