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Epidemiology of asthma.
1Department of Public Health Sciences, St George's Hospital Medical School, London.
British Journal of Hospital Medicine
|January 4, 1992
Summary
Asthma causes significant distress and disability across all age groups, with severity potentially increasing. While childhood mortality is low, it rises sharply with age, often linked to chronic obstructive lung disease, and its causes remain unclear.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Epidemiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Asthma is a prevalent respiratory condition causing significant patient distress and disability.
- The severity of asthma may be increasing globally.
- Asthma mortality rates are low in children but increase substantially with age, particularly when co-occurring with chronic obstructive lung disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the current understanding of asthma's impact.
- To highlight the association between asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease in older adults.
- To underscore the need for further research into the causes of asthma.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing epidemiological data on asthma prevalence and severity.
- Analysis of age-specific asthma mortality trends.
- Literature review on the co-morbidity of asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.
Main Results:
- Asthma significantly impacts patients of all ages, leading to distress and disability.
- A notable increase in asthma severity is observed.
- Mortality risk escalates with age, strongly correlating with chronic obstructive lung disease.
Conclusions:
- Asthma represents a major public health challenge due to its widespread impact and potential for increasing severity.
- The link between asthma, aging, and chronic obstructive lung disease warrants further investigation.
- A deeper understanding of asthma's etiology is crucial for developing effective interventions.