[Increasing asthma mortality in Denmark 1969-1988. Not because of changed coding practices]

We have studied asthma mortality in Denmark from 1969 to 1988. Age standardized mortality rates calculated in three age groups, 10-34, 35-59, and > 60 years, disclosed similar trends. Increasing mortality from asthma in the mid-1970s to 1988 was seen in all three age groups with higher mortality in 1979-1988 as compared with 1969-1978 of 95%, 55%, and 69%, respectively. Since the eighth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8) was used in Denmark over the entire 20-year period, changes in coding practice due to change of classification system cannot explain the findings.