Epidemiology of Asthma in the United States

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Key points

  • Accurate data on the prevalence and incidence of asthma to inform research and clinical practice has been hindered by the lack of a consistent method of identifying and diagnosing asthma, both clinically and in studies of asthma.

  • The National Heart and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health defines asthma as a common chronic disorder of the airways that involves a complex interaction of airflow obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and an underlying inflammation.

  • In 2009 there

Epidemiology of asthma

Accurate data on the prevalence and incidence of asthma to inform research and clinical practice has been hindered by the lack of a consistent method of identifying and diagnosing asthma, both clinically and in studies of asthma. Studies that differ in the definition and diagnosis of asthma create difficulty in comparisons. This article uses the most common definitions and diagnostic methods for asthma. The National Heart and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health defines asthma

Global impact of asthma

In 2004, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) combined data from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies (ISAAC) study and the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) to provide global estimates on the burden of asthma. These data were collected between 1992 and 1996 and 1988 and 1994, respectively. The GINA report estimated an asthma prevalence rate for countries that ranged from the lowest prevalence in Macau (0.7%) to the highest prevalence in Scotland (18.4%). The

Asthma in the United States

Tracking the prevalence of asthma or the number of people at a point in time that have the disease helps in examining both the current status and asthma trends over time. The number of persons with asthma in the United States has increased by 2.9% each year from 20.3 million persons in 2001 to 25.7 million persons in 2010. Of these 25.7 million, 7.0 million were children and 18.7 million were adults. Among adults, 3.1 million people aged 65 years and older had asthma. By race, 19.1 million were

Indoor environmental risk factors

The role of indoor allergens and irritants is well known for its role in asthma severity as well as asthma control. The most common asthma allergens and irritants are house-dust mites, animal proteins, cockroaches, endotoxin, fungi, and smoking/environmental tobacco smoke. Improved energy efficiency of constructed and updated buildings is thought to increase exposure to allergens and respiratory irritants alongside the increase in the amount of time spent indoors in a closed space. Lifestyle

Outdoor environmental risk factors

Outdoor environmental irritants, such as vehicle exhaust, can induce asthma symptoms. In addition, air pollution and desert dust can trigger symptoms in asthmatic individuals. In an investigation of reunified Germany, East Germany had consistently elevated levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and other particulates, whereas West Germany had low levels of SO2 but slightly higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Prevalence rates of asthma and atopic sensitization were elevated in West Germany, and

Emotional factors

An increasing number of investigations are examining the effect on asthma of living in a violent environment. Geographic variation has been noted in asthma outcomes among large cities69 and among neighborhoods within cities.70, 71, 72 Exposure to community violence, explained by Wright and Steinbach73 as proximity to violence, either through direct victimization or observing arguments, fights, or crime within neighborhoods, adds to the stressors that are likely to already burden vulnerable

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