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Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes that makes them swell, narrowing the airways, which can seriously affect a person’s ability to breathe.
While most people with asthma are able to control their condition with proper medications (CDC "You Can Control Your Asthma"), more than half of those with Asthma in 2008 reported attacks.
Asthma triggers like tobacco smoke, mold, pet dander, outdoor air pollution, colds and flu, etc. can suddenly bring on a potentially life threatening episode. Asthma claims about 9 lives each day in the US.
And for reasons that are not completely understood, Asthma is on the rise in the United States.
Back in 2001, 1 in 14 people (about 20 million) had asthma, compared with 1 in 12 (about 25 million) reporting asthma in 2009.
Today the CDC’s MMWR has released a new Vital Signs Report and this month’s topic is Asthma in the US.
First the link to the MMWR report, then a link and some excerpts from the Vital Signs Report.
Vital Signs: Asthma Prevalence, Disease Characteristics, and Self-Management Education --- United States, 2001--2009
Early Release
May 3, 2011 / 60(Early Release);1-7Abstract (EXCERPTS)
Methods: CDC analyzed asthma data from the 2001--2009 National Health Interview Survey concerning children and adults, and from the 2001, 2005, and 2009 state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System concerning adults.
Results: Among persons of all ages, the prevalence of asthma increased from 7.3% (20.3 million persons) in 2001 to 8.2% (24.6 million persons) in 2009, a 12.3% increase. Prevalence among children (persons aged <18 years) was 9.6%, and was highest among poor children (13.5%) and among non-Hispanic black children (17.0%). Prevalence among adults was 7.7%, and was greatest in women (9.7%) and in adults who were poor (10.6%).
More uninsured persons with asthma than insured could not afford to buy prescription medications (40.3% versus 11.5%), and fewer uninsured persons reported seeing or talking with a primary-care physician (58.8% versus 85.6%) or specialist (19.5% versus 36.9%).
Among persons with asthma, 34.2% reported being given a written asthma action plan, and 68.1% had been taught the appropriate response to symptoms of an asthma attack. Only about one third of children or adults were using long-term control medicine such as inhaled corticosteroids at the time of the survey.
There are wide regional variations in the incidence of asthma reported around the country, as evidenced by the Vital Signs map below.
For more background we turn to the Vital Signs report.
Asthma is a lifelong disease that causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. It can limit a person's quality of life. While we don't know why asthma rates are rising, we do know that most people with asthma can control their symptoms and prevent asthma attacks by avoiding asthma triggers and correctly using prescribed medicines, such as inhaled corticosteroids.
The number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million from 2001 to 2009. From 2001 through 2009 asthma rates rose the most among black children, almost a 50% increase. Asthma was linked to 3,447 deaths (about 9 per day) in 2007. Asthma costs in the US grew from about $53 billion in 2002 to about $56 billion in 2007, about a 6% increase. Greater access to medical care is needed for the growing number of people with asthma.
Latest Findings
Asthma is increasing every year in the US.
Too many people have asthma.
- The number of people with asthma continues to grow. One in 12 people (about 25 million, or 8% of the population) had asthma in 2009, compared with 1 in 14 (about 20 million, or 7%) in 2001.
- More than half (53%) of people with asthma had an asthma attack in 2008. More children (57%) than adults (51%) had an attack. 185 children and 3,262 adults died from asthma in 2007.
- About 1 in 10 children (10%) had asthma and 1 in 12 adults (8%) had asthma in 2009. Women were more likely than men and boys more likely than girls to have asthma.
- About 1 in 9 (11%) non-Hispanic blacks of all ages and about 1 in 6 (17%) of non-Hispanic black children had asthma in 2009, the highest rate among racial/ethnic groups.
- The greatest rise in asthma rates was among black children (almost a 50% increase) from 2001 through 2009.
You’ll find a downloadable version of this page available as a 4-page PDF file. You’ll also find links to related information, including audio podcasts.
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