A chronic cough can be passed from parents to children, a new study suggests

In a recent study published in ERJ Open Researchresearchers investigated what constitutes a chronic cough, considering different types of cough (productive and non-productive).

Their research shows that chronic cough can be hereditary, with the type of cough in parents showing a correlation with the same type of cough in their children.

Education: Bi-generational inheritance of whooping cough: the RHINESSA study. Image Credit: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock.com

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Chronic cough affects approximately 10% of the population and can have a negative impact on quality of life resulting in lost work days.

It is thought to be caused by a reflex associated with coughing, known as hypersensitivity syndrome. However, the exact causes of this phenomenon are still unclear.

Some research suggests that certain biological processes and certain genetic factors may increase the likelihood of chronic cough. For example, a gene called RE-RFC1 has been linked to chronic cough in some patients.

Despite this, little research has been done on whether chronic cough is inherited, especially when considering different types of cough, such as productive cough, mucus-producing cough and or phlegm and thus helps to clear the respiratory tract of irritants or infections, and a non-productive cough, also known as a dry cough.

About education

In this study, researchers aim to find out whether chronic cough among parents is associated with similar conditions in their children, focusing on whether a certain type of cough is also inherited.

They thought that chronic cough might be an inherited condition and that the type of cough could also be passed from one generation to another.

The researchers examined the prevalence of chronic bronchitis by analyzing data from two large studies, one of which included parents from Northern Europe and another study that focused on children. of participants in the first study from Australia, Spain and Northern Europe.

The former collected data from more than 21,000 people over multiple periods (1990, 2000, 2010), while the latter study included more than 10,000 child participants between 2012 and 2019.

Chronic cough was divided into two types: productive (with phlegm) and non-productive (without phlegm), depending on the participants’ reports.

The study examined the relationship between chronic cough in parents and their children, using statistical models that accounted for factors such as age, sex, weight, smoking status, asthma and other health conditions.

The researchers also conducted a hypothesis test to assess the influence of factors such as asthma, smoking and sex on developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study followed ethical guidelines, and all participants gave informed consent, and the findings were analyzed according to established guidelines for observational studies.

Investigations

The study analyzed data from 7,155 parents and 8,176 children to investigate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It found that children with chronic cough were more likely to be female smokers and had more cough-related problems, such as asthma and gastroesophageal reflux.

A strong correlation was observed between chronic cough in parents and their children, especially when the parents had persistent cough over time.

Specifically, 29% of children reported chronic cough if their parents had it twice, compared to 18% if neither parent had chronic cough.

The type of cough was also important: children were more likely to have the same type of cough as their parents—non-productive or productive.

In addition, the study found that chronic cough in female children was associated with both male and female parents, while chronic cough in male children was not significantly associated with male parents.

Sympathetic studies confirmed these findings, although the association between productive cough in parents and children was significantly weaker when reporting non-smokers and non-asthmatics.

Overall, the study suggests that chronic cough, especially its type, is hereditary across generations.

Decisions

Research findings show that older children of parents with chronic cough are more likely to suffer from the same condition, especially when considering the type of cough—non-productive or productive.

This relationship persists even after adjusting for various confounding factors, suggesting that chronic cough may be genetic.

These findings are consistent with a few previous studies, such as a Korean study that highlighted a family history of chronic cough. Personality appears to be stronger in female children, although this requires further research.

Strengths of the study include large cohorts with good characteristics and consistent findings across different demographics.

However, limitations include the lack of data from both parents in most cases, the underreporting of chronic cough in young children, and the lack of accurate measurements such as ts’ lung function.

In addition, the study did not account for certain confounders such as sleep deprivation or air pollution, which may affect the results.

Future research should examine the genetic factors that contribute to this heredity, particularly for nonproductive breast, and consider the role of environmental exposures and behavioral patterns in the transmission of nonproductive breast. I’m sick. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to new treatments for chronic bronchitis.