New study reveals how personalised care can help to treat chronic cough

Background 

A cough is considered chronic when it lasts for longer than 8 weeks. Chronic cough can last for months or sometimes years and can have a major impact on their quality of life.  

What did the study look at? 

This study involved 426 people with chronic cough who were treated in allergy, pulmonology and cough clinics across Korea. 

The researchers wanted to find out whether certain underlying factors made coughs more likely to continue. These are factors that healthcare professionals can help manage in the future to improve the cough. For example, they might support patients to make lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking or provide treatment for conditions like heartburn. 

The team monitored a range of factors to see whether they were linked to chronic cough. These included: 

• Being very sensitive to things that trigger coughing, known as cough hypersensitivity 

• Swelling or irritation in the airways 

• Other medical conditions such as depression, asthma or acid reflux 

• Obesity  

• Smoking 

• Nasal obstruction such as a blocked nose that can make breathing harder 

What do the results show? 

After about a year of follow-up, half of the participants still had chronic cough. Among the factors studied, only sensitivity to cough triggers and being aged 60 or above were independently linked to chronic cough. 

This highlights that recognising cough hypersensitivity may play an important role in personalised care for chronic cough, helping to achieve better outcomes. 

Why is this important? 

Chronic cough is a common condition that experts believe affects 1 in 10 people. It can also be difficult to treat because the causes differ from person to person and treatments that work for some are not effective for others. 

By identifying and addressing individual factors, such as cough sensitivity, doctors can gain a clearer understanding of what is causing chronic cough and provide more effective management over time. This could improve quality of life for people living with the condition. 

Read the original research paper: Treatable traits in chronic cough: a prospective evaluation for predicting cough persistence