Asthma & Adults Fact Sheet

Asthma is a reversible obstructive lung disease, caused by increased reaction of the airways to various stimuli. It is a chronic inflammatory condition with acute exacerbations. Asthma can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed.

• In 2001 it was estimated that 20.3 million Americans currently have asthma. Of these, 12 million Americans (4 million children under 18) had an asthma attack or episode during that same year.
• Another survey suggested that Maine and Massachusetts have the highest percentage of adults with asthma while South Dakota & Louisiana have the lowest.
• In 2000, there were 4487 deaths attributed to asthma--an age-adjusted rate of 1.6 per 100,000.
• The hospital discharge rate for asthma decreased 14% between 1995 and 2000. In 2000, 465,000 discharges (16.7 per 100,000) were due to asthma.
• Close to 2 million emergency room visits were attributed to asthma in 2000.
• Asthma accounts for an estimated 14.5 million lost work days annually for people over 18 years of age; the annual direct health care costs of asthma is approximately $9.4 billion; indirect costs (e.g. lost productivity) add another $4.6 billion, for a total of $14.0 billion dollars.
• Only about a quarter of the children with asthma become symptom-free when their airways reach adult size. The condition persists beyond childhood in 85 percent of women and in 72 percent of men.
• Asthma breathing problems usually happen in "episodes," but the inflammation underlying asthma is continuous. An asthma episode is a series of events that result in narrowed airways. These include: swelling of the lining, tightening of the muscle, and increased secretion of mucus in the airway. The narrowed airway is responsible for the difficulty in breathing with the familiar "wheeze."
• Asthma medications help reduce underlying inflammation in the airways and relieve or prevent symptomatic airway narrowing. Control of inflammation should lead to reduction in airway sensitivity and help prevent airway obstruction.
• Two classes of medications have been used to treat asthma--anti-inflammatory agents and bronchodilators. Anti-inflammatory drugs interrupt the development of bronchial inflammation and have a preventive action. They may also modify or terminate ongoing inflammatory reactions in the airways. These agents include corticosteroids, cromolyn sodium, and other anti-inflammatory compounds. A new class of anti-inflammatory medications known as leukotriene modifiers, which work in a different way by blocking the activity of chemicals called leukotrienes that are involved in airway inflammation, have recently come on the market.
• Bronchodilators act principally to open the airways by relaxing bronchial muscle. They include beta-adrenergic agonists, methylxanthines, and anticholinergics.
• Despite the numerous drugs available asthma is still poorly managed. A recent survey found that 48% of respondents say that asthma limits their ability to take part in sports and recreation; 36% say it limits their normal physical exertion; and 25% say it interferes with their social activities.
• Asthma is characterized by excessive sensitivity of the lungs to various stimuli. Triggers range from viral infections to allergies, to irritating gases and particles in the air. Each person reacts differently to the factors that may trigger asthma, including:
• respiratory infections, colds
• cigarette smoke
• allergic reactions to pollen, mold, animal dander, feather, dust, food
• indoor and outdoor air pollutants, including ozone
• exercise
• exposure to cold air or sudden temperature change
• excitement/stress