| HEALTH STATUS - Morbidity |
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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways producing episodes of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. Episodes are triggered by allergens, tobacco smoke and other irritants, exercise, and infections of the respiratory tract. The number of asthma sufferers increased by 75 percent between 1980 and 1993-94(1) and, by 1996, it was the third most common chronic condition in the U.S.(2) With effective management, however, persons with asthma can enjoy normal activities.
While 7.2 percent of U.S. adults had asthma in 2000, women had higher rates than men, 9.1 percent compared to 5.1 percent respectively.(3) This higher prevalence appeared to be concentrated among middle-aged adults. In 1999, more than twice as many women as men aged 45-64 had asthma, though the rates were more comparable among men and women in younger and older age groups. In addition to higher prevalence, women were more likely than men to use health care for asthma, including hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and they were also more likely to die from asthma.(1) Higher prevalence, morbidity, and mortality among women may be associated with hormones, obesity, or other characteristics, although it is unclear whether this variation is due to a real difference in prevalence, reporting, or other factors.(3)
1 - National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute Data Fact Sheet. Asthma Statistics. National Institutes of Health, January 1999.
2 - Druss BG , Marcus SC, Olfson M, Tanielian T, Elinson L, Pincus HA. Comparing The National Economic Burden Of Five Chronic Conditions. Health Affairs, November/December, 233-241, 2001.
3 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Self-reported asthma prevalence among adults--United States, 2000. JAMA, 286(13): 1571-1572, 2001.