History and Objectives: Due to prevalence of asthma and due to the reduction of systemic adrenergic response of heart with increasing age and current discrepancies on the effect of age on response to treatment in pulmonary adrenergic system and in order to address the issue whether age will effect treatment of patients suffering asthma, the present study was prepared on patients referred with acute asthma attack in 1998.

Materials and Methods: A cohort study on 62 patients who were divided into control (Under the age of 35 22 cases) and experimental (Over the age of 35 40 cases) was conducted. Diagnosis was based on ATS characterization and all patients were treated for one week with 3 medications, salbutamol spray, sodium cromolyn capsule and oral prednisone. Response to treatment was determined by pulmonary function tests.

Results: FEV1 was changed from 1.5±0.5 liters and 1.1±0.3 liters before treatment to 2.4±0.5 liters and 1.7±0.4 liters after treatment (P<0.001). In 77% of young asthmatic patients and in 80% of older asthmatic patients FEV1 was higher than 15%. Relative and designated risk were 0.96 and 1.03 respectively mean FEV1 variation from basal levels in young and older patients were 78.2±56.1 and 71.6±46.8 percent respectively (P<0.62) and among male and female patients of young and old age was 69.8±43 and 71.6±46.8 percent (P=0.62) and 96.3±78.4 and 78.3±48 percent (P=0.44) respectively. Mean of maximum improvement of FEV1 among young and old asthmatic patients was 57.3±25.6 and 46.3±22 percent respectively (P=0.08) and among male and female patients of young and old age was 56.4±28 and 37.1±15.8 percent (P<0.05) and 59.3±21.5 and 54.6±23.9 percent (P=0.65) respectively.

Conclusion: Response to treatment was significant both in young and old age groups suffering from acute asthmatic attack. Except among young male patients where FEV1 was increased compared to older patients, maximum rate of improvement of FEV1 among other patients and rate of changes of FEV1 between