Chronic cough may be hereditary
Chronic cough is among the most common reasons for seeking medical care and the group most affected are middle-aged women. New studies at Uppsala University also show that this condition appears to be a hereditary phenomenon. The studies have been published in ERJ Open Research and PLOS ONE.
Össur Ingi Emilsson, Associate Professor of Pulmonary, Allergy and Sleep Research.
– More than 10% of the population has a chronic cough, which has been shown to have a number of negative consequences: reduced quality of life, reduced ability to work and voice problems. At present, we have insufficient knowledge about what causes cough and how best to treat it, says Össur Ingi Emilsson, Associate Professor of Pulmonary, Allergy and Sleep Research at the Department of Medical Sciences at Uppsala University.
Two recently published studies from the department have investigated both how cough is currently managed in Swedish healthcare, and whether chronic cough can be hereditary.
One study, based on Swedish healthcare register data, showed that one to two per cent of the entire Swedish population sought care for chronic cough during the years 2016-2018, usually within primary care. Of those who sought care, the majority seem to have had a cough for many years. The prevalence is highest among women in their 40s and 60s, with approximately 21 000 women seeking care for cough during these three years.
The studies are funded by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association, the pharmaceutical company MSD and Region Uppsala.
Össur Ingi Emilsson et al.; Heritability of cough across two generations: the RHINESSA study; ERJ Open Research, 2024, 00071-2024; DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00071-2024
Lotta Walz et al.; Characteristics, demographics, and epidemiology of possible chronic cough in Sweden: A nationwide register-based cohort study; PLOS ONE, 2024; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303804