A recent study published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology found that dysfunctional breathing (DB) is a common comorbidity among children and adolescents with asthma, particularly among older children and girls. The study involved 363 patients aged 10-17 years attending a scheduled follow-up asthma visit at a hospital in Denmark, with 18% of patients having scores indicating DB. The study also found that DB was correlated with perceived poorer asthma control and greater use of beta 2 agonists, but was not a contributor to more severe asthma than the non-DB group. The researchers encourage physicians to routinely screen pediatric and adolescent patients for DB to avoid overtreatment, and suggest that treatment options may be investigated in future studies.
