PURPOSE: An older female predominance has been reported among chronic cough patients in Western countries, which is considered to be associated with a higher cough sensitivity in females. However, the characteristics of Chinese chronic cough patients remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the age and sex distribution as well as their relationship with cough reflex sensitivity to capsaicin in Chinese chronic cough patients. METHODS: We analyzed the demographic features of 1,882 consecutive chronic cough patients who attended our cough clinic in Guangzhou, China. Cough sensitivity to capsaicin, which was defined as the lowest concentration of capsaicin causing 5 coughs or more (C5), was measured in 539 of the 1,882 patients and 68 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 43.0 ± 13.7 years and patients aged <50 years accounted for more than two-thirds of the study population. Around 87% of the patients were never-smokers. The proportion of females (51.5%) was almost equal to that of males (48.5%). The pattern of the age and sex distribution was consistently reflected within most common causes of chronic cough, while a female predominance was shown in patients with cough-variant asthma and patients aged ≥50 years. Female patients had higher cough sensitivity to capsaicin than male patients (log C5: 1.58 ± 0.84 vs. 2.04 ± 0.84 μmol/L, P = 0.001), and patients aged ≥50 years had higher cough sensitivity to capsaicin than patients aged <50 years. CONCLUSIONS: In China, patients with chronic cough have a roughly equal sex distribution and a middle-aged predominance, irrespective of a higher cough sensitivity to capsaicin in females and older patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02591550
Age Distribution ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Asthma ; Capsaicin ; China ; Cough ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Reflex ; Sex Distribution

Objective To analyze the characteristics of the muscle strength around the knee joint of chondromalacia patellae patients, and to explore the difference with normal people.Methods In March, 2021, 70 knee-onset chondromalacia patellae patients (experimental group) and 35 normal people (control group) were measured isokinetic muscle strength of flexion and extension of knee in angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s.Results At 60°/s and 180°/s, the peak torque, the peak torque-to-weight ratio and the total work of the flexor and extensor muscles on the affected side in the experimental group were lower than that of the control group (U > 1097.0, P<0.001). The peak torque, the peak torque-to-weight ratio and the total work of the flexor and extensor muscles at 60°/s and extensor muscles at 180°/s were lower on the affected side than on the healthy side in the experimental group (|Z| > 2.121, P<0.05). The peak torque ratios at 60°/s and 180°/s were more in the affected knees than in the healthy knees of experimental group and in the control group (U > 1810.0, |Z| >3.691, P<0.01).Conclusion The explosive force and endurance of the knee flexor and extensor has weakened in patients with chondromalacia patellae, and there is imbalance in knee joint muscle strength.