The risk for chronic diseases is increased for all patients with asthma, and those with severe asthma (SA) have a greater risk for major comorbidities, according to findings published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease. Investigators examined health insurance claims for frequent comorbidities in adults with asthma, dividing them based on the severity of their asthma (non-severe [NSA] vs SA). Frequent comorbidities for all patients with asthma included vasomotor and allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), while COPD was more frequent in SA. For major comorbid diseases, patients with asthma were at higher risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (OR=1.13) and psychiatric disorders (OR=1.49), as well as rhinitis (OR=1.94), GERD (OR=1.66), and osteoporosis (OR=1.40). Patients with SA experienced more comorbidities and a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, and several psychiatric disorders. “Clinicians should consider the impact of comorbid diseases in the asthma patient care,” the researchers wrote