Asthma

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Asthma

• Meredith G. Hennon, MPH
• and the Supercourse
• team in Pittsburgh

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Background

• Asthma is a chronic lung-disease that inflames
  and narrows the airways (tubes that bring air
  into and out of an individuals lungs).
• Asthma is the most common chronic disease among
  children.

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Symptoms

• Common symptoms of asthma include
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Tightness in the chest
• Shortness of breath

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Causes

• While the exact cause of asthma is not known, it
  is thought that a variety of factors interacting
  with one another, early in life, result in the
  development of asthma.

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Causes

• Parents with asthma
• Atopy
• Childhood respiratory infections
• Exposure to allergens or infections while the
  immune system is developing

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Diagnosis

• Based on
• Medical history
• Physical examination
• Test results

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Asthma Triggers

• A variety of things can cause asthma symptoms to
  appear
• Allergens
• Irritants
• Food and drinks
• Medicines
• Physical activity
• Upper respiratory infections (viral)

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Asthma prevalence

• In the United States
• More females than males have asthma.
• Blacks and American Indian/Alaska natives have
  higher percentages of asthma than Whites,
  Hispanics, and Asians.

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Asthma prevalence, 2005
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Lifetime asthma diagnosis, 2005
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Asthma disparities

• Death from asthma is 3 times more likely to occur
  among Blacks than Whites.
• Among adults, women of all races have higher
  rates of illness and death from asthma than men.
• Rates of hospitalization for asthma for Blacks
  are almost triple those for Whites.

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Number of asthma deaths per 100,000 population,
2003
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Increasing rates

• Asthma rates have been increasing in the United
  States for both adults and children, males and
  females, and in the different races and
  ethnicities.
• It is estimated that the number of people with
  asthma worldwide will increase by 25 in the next
  15 years.

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Child and Adult Asthma PrevalenceUnited States,
1980-2007
Lifetime

• Child
• Adult

Current
12-Month
Source National Health Interview Survey CDC
National Center for Health Statistics
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Asthma Prevalence by SexUnited States, 1980-2007

• Female
• Male

Lifetime
12-Month
Current
Source National Health Interview Survey CDC
National Center for Health Statistics
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Asthma Prevalence by Race/EthnicityUnited
States, 1997-2007

• Black NH
• White NH
• Hispanic

Lifetime
Current
Source National Health Interview Survey
National Center for Health Statistics
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Worldwide Burden of Asthma

• 300 million people suffer from asthma worldwide.
• 255,000 asthma deaths in 2005.
• 3,500 in the United States.
• Over 80 of asthma deaths occur in low and
  lower-middle income countries.

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Treatment

• While asthma cannot be cured, it can be
  controlled
• Medications
• Long term
• Quick relief
• Bronchial thermoplasty
• Learning to recognize ones own triggers and
  taking steps to avoid them.

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Treatment

• Medication
• Long term
• Inhaled corticosteroid
• Leukotriene modifiers
• Long-acting beta agonists
• Combination inhalers

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Treatment

• Quick relief (rescue) medications
• Short-acting beta agonists
• Ipratropium
• Oral and intravenous corticosteroids
• Bronchial thermoplasty
• Recognizing, tracking, and avoiding triggers

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Review Questions (Developed by the Supercourse
team)

• What are some of the common asthma triggers?
• Which age, sex, and/or racial groups see
  disparities in asthma prevalence rates, as well
  as hospitalizations and deaths?
• Describe the process of asthma diagnosis.