Objective     To investigate the natural history of chronic cough and medication compliance by analyzing the clinical data of chronic cough patients during one-year of follow-up.     Methods      One hundred and seventy-three chronic cough cases from respiratory medicine clinic in Xinqiao Hospital

Daping Hospital

and Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University

and in First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from Feb 2008 to May 2009 were enrolled in this study. Inclusion criteria were cough time8 weeks

and normal chest X film or CT image. Exclusion criteria: ① taking hypertensive drugs as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI); ② chronic heart or lung diseases; ③ the recent history of exposure to dust. Based on our follow-up questionnaire

all patients were visited by a respiratory specialist by telephone for the improvement in cough or not

or treatment to the causes

or the impact of cough on life during the one-year follow-up (December 2008 to June 2010).     Results     A total of 104 patients completed the 1-year follow-up study. The average age of them was 40 (12 to 78) and average course of cough was 31.8 months (2 to 360 months)

and their sex ratio was about 4/3 [59 (male)/45 (female)]. When our follow-up after 1 year

regardless of whether the specific cause of chronic cough

the cough disappeared completely accounted for 51.9% (54/104)

partial improvement in 18.3% (19/104)

good times and bad in 6.7% (7/104)

and no improvement or increased in 23.1% (24/104). In different causes of chronic cough

the symptoms disappeared completely was the highest proportion of cough variability asthma (CVA)

up 58.3%; upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) was the lowest

only 45.2%. In the cases with no improvement in cough

gastro-esophageal regurgitation cough (GERC) covered the highest proportion of 30.8%

and CVA the lowest of 19.4%. UACS patients treated for the cause accounted for only 16.7% (7/42)

but CVA and GERC patients had the higher percentage

up to 66.7%. Only half of the patients thought the cough influenced their lives

work

mood and their surrounding peoples

but the main impact was mild.     Conclusion    In different causes of chronic cough

the patients with UACS have the worst outcome. Strengthening education and improving treatment compliance of the disease are of urgent clinical needs.