• Jiyeon Kang, Woo Jung Seo, Jieun Kang, KimJung GonJG0000-0002-3661-4974Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea., Sung Jun Chung, Hyung Koo Kang, Sung-Soon Lee, Tai Joon An, Hyonsoo Joo, Hyun Lee, Youlim Kim, Ina Jeong, Jinkyeong Park, Sung-Kyoung Kim, Jong-Wook Shin, Chin Kook Rhee, Yee Hyung Kim, Kyung Hoon Min, Ji-Yong Moon, Deog Kyeom Kim, Seung Hun Jang, Kwang Ha Yoo, Jin Woo Kim, Hyoung Kyu Yoon, and Hyeon-Kyoung Koo.
• Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea.
• J. Korean Med. Sci. 2024 Oct 7; 39 (38): e273e273.

BackgroundChronic cough is a common symptom encountered by healthcare practitioners. The global prevalence of chronic cough is 9.6%, with a female predominance. The aim of our study is to reveal the sex differences in prevalence and severity of chronic cough in South Korea, stratified by age and etiology.MethodsThis study included adult patients with chronic cough who were recruited from 19 respiratory centers in South Korea. Patients completed the cough numeric rating scale (NRS) and COugh Assessment Test (COAT) questionnaire to assess the severity and multidimensional impact of cough.ResultsAmong the 625 patients, 419 (67.0%) were females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.03. The mean age was 49.4 years, and the median duration of cough was 12 weeks. The mean NRS and COAT scores were 5.5 ± 1.8 and 9.5 ± 3.6, respectively. Female patients were older (45.3 ± 15.4 vs. 51.6 ± 15.2, P < 0.001) and more likely to have asthma/cough variant asthma (CVA) (26.7% vs. 40.8%, P = 0.001) than male patients. There was no difference in the duration or severity of cough between sexes, regardless of the cause. The male-to-female ratio was lower for upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), asthma/CVA, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), but not for eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) or unexplained cough. The mean age of female patients was higher in UACS and asthma/CVA, but not in EB, GERD, or unexplained cough. The majority (24.2%) fell within the age category of 50s. The proportion of females with cough increased with age, with a significant rise in the 50s, 60s, and 70-89 age groups. The severity of cough decreased in the 50s, 60s, and 70-89 age groups, with no significant sex differences within the same age group.ConclusionThe sex disparities in prevalence and severity of cough varied significantly depending on the age category and etiology. Understanding the specific sex-based difference could enhance comprehension of cough-related pathophysiology and treatment strategies.© 2024 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

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