Sinusitis

Asthma is a multifactorial respiratory condition affected by demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Recognizing sex-related differences in risk factors may help develop personalized preventive strategies and ultimately enhance clinical outcomes. This study aims to compare the characteristics of male and female patients with asthma and to identify the primary risk factors linked to the condition in each group as well. A comparative analysis was conducted using regression models to evaluate the association between asthma and potential risk factors. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of associations for men and women separately. In females, obesity (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.24–2.75), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.77–6.43), chronic sinusitis (OR, 4.37; 95% CI, 1.02–18.64), and hypothyroidism (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.09–2.94) were significantly associated with asthma. In males, COPD was the strongest predictor (OR, 4.35; 95% CI, 1.18–15.97), while other factors showed weaker or non-significant associations. Age was not a significant predictor in either sex. The findings highlight important sex differences in the risk profile for asthma. These results underscore the need for sex-specific approaches in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of asthma.

Environmental microplastic pollution is rising, and the recent literature reflects these conditions primarily by focusing on the effects of microplastics in the human lung and gut region. Despite the specific prevalence of airborne microplastics, the bulk of the existing literature neglects the point of initial contact of microplastics with the human body, namely the upper airway, specifically the nasal region. This review aims to highlight recent findings surrounding the effects of microplastics in the nose in both in vitro and clinical models. Areas of particular interest include changes in cell morphology, microplastic permeation, cytotoxicity, and inflammatory effects. Although permeation and toxicity findings vary across studies, the literature collectively indicates hazards to cellular health and potential impacts on patient quality of life.

Objective: To describe the sociodemographic profile and prevalence of different phenotypes of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) treated at a specialized outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted on patients treated at a clinic in Brazil. The following were evaluated: sex, age, age at symptom onset, primary CRS phenotype, etiology of secondary CRS, and severity of symptoms. Results: A total of 342 patients were included, of whom 45.61% were men and 8.24% had secondary CRS. The median age of all patients with CRS was 61 years. Nasal polyps were present in 86.22% of patients. The median age at symptom onset was 41 years. The prevalence of primary CRS phenotypes was chronic eosinophilic rhinosinusitis (eCRS) (75%), anti-inflammatory drug exacerbated respiratory disease, which was considered a subgroup of eCRS (19.40%), chronic non-eosinophilic rhinosinusitis (18.66%), central compartment atopic disease (4.1%), and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (2.24%). The most prevalent diagnoses of secondary CRS were allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) (27.59%), immunodeficiencies (20.69%), and vasculitis (13.79%). Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with CRS are predominantly women over 60 years of age who began experiencing nasal symptoms in their fifth decade of life. Most patients have CRS with nasal polyps, primary CRS, and a predominant eCRS phenotype. Secondary CRS accounted for 8.4% of cases, and the most prevalent diagnoses of secondary CRS were Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis, immunodeficiencies, and vasculitis.