Occupational asthma patients’ long-term employment

<bold>Background:</bold> The long-term impact of irritant-induced asthma (IIA) and low-molecular-weight sensitizer (LMW)-induced occupational asthma (OA) on employment is poorly known. We aimed to identify predictors of exclusion from working life among these patients. <bold>Methods:</bold> Our study identified 69 IIA patients and 89 LMW-induced OA patients diagnosed in a tertiary occupational medicine clinic during 2004-2018 (Lantto J et al J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023;11(4):1224-1232). Thirty-six patients with IIA and 42 patients with LMW-induced OA gave their consent for collection of surveillance data from the Finnish Centre for Pensions Register concerning their work career after OA diagnosis. We evaluated the cumulative proportion of a time an individual was employed and got paid (may include <11 days’ periods on sick-leave) after OA diagnosis until they answered the follow-up questionnaire, received old-age pension, or turned 65 years old which is a common age for old-age pension in Finland. <bold>Results:</bold> At baseline the patients’ median age was 48 years (interquartile range, IQR 40-55). The follow-up time was median 5.8 years (IQR 4.4-11.3). The proportion of time being employed after OA diagnosis was median 76% (IQR 31-100%) among IIA patients and median 55% (IQR 11-88%) among LMW-induced OA patients. According to surveillance data, those 48 participants who were employed at baseline remained employed, while only a minority of the 30 non-employed subjects participated working life (94%, IQR 64-100% and 12%, IQR 0-44%, P<0.001, respectively. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Not being employed at the time of the OA diagnosis seems to associate with low participation of working life in the future. These patients need support for remaining employed.