Gender and age differences in the relative burden of rhinitis and asthma on health-related quality of life--a Swedish population study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relative burden of rhinitis and asthma on health-related quality of life (HRQL) as a function of gender and age in the general population. A cross-sectional, general population survey was conducted, comprising 5918 men and women aged 16-64 years. The SF-36 Health Survey was administered by mail, along with questions regarding nasal complaints after 15 years of age and physician-diagnosed asthma. Overall, rhinitis and asthma were each associated with impaired HRQL compared with non-cases and the burden of these illnesses in combination was incremental. In the age group 16-49 years, men and women with rhinitis alone had significantly worse health profiles on most scales than non-cases, while asthmatics, with or without rhinitis, showed further decrements on only a few scales. In the age group 50-64 years, men with rhinitis did not differ from non-cases and no differences were found between asthmatics and rhinitis victims on any scale. In contrast, women aged 50-64 years with rhinitis had significantly worse scores than non-cases on bodily pain and general well-being scales (GH, VT), and asthmatics scored much lower on all scales than those with rhinitis alone. The negative association of rhinitis and asthma with HRQL differs by age and sex in the general population. Women aged 50-64 years with one or both ailments are particularly affected. Such gender and age differences should be taken into consideration in the care and treatment of patients with rhinitis and asthma.