Aetiology of asthma: how public health and molecular medicine work together

Asthma is recognized as the most common treatable chronic disease of the lung, afflicting over 100 million people of all age groups yet, despite therapeutic advances, there has been little impact on the rising morbidity and mortality from the disease. This article discusses ways in which molecular medicine can inform public health policy and clinical practice in the management of asthma. It focuses on the recognition that asthma is an inflammatory disorder, and that the public health burden of the disease can be reduced by identifying environmental factors that may trigger asthma in genetically susceptible individuals.