Who is Affected by Asthma
According to the U.S. National Center for Health
Statistics, in 2009:1
- About 24 million people in the U.S. have asthma. Of these, about 7
million are children and 17 million are adults.
- More than 12
million people reported having had an asthma attack during the previous 12
months. In other words, about 52% of the people who had asthma at the time of
the survey had had an asthma attack in the previous year.
In 2007, asthma caused 1.8 million visits to the hospital
emergency room for asthma. Children went to the
emergency room more often than adults. About 4,000 people died of
asthma each year from 2005 to 2007.1
Although many people with asthma
suffer from poorly controlled symptoms, evidence suggests that when taken
correctly, currently available medicines work very well to control
symptoms in the majority of people who have asthma.
Citations
- Akinbami LK, et al. (2011). Asthma prevalence, health care use, and mortality: United States, 2005–2009. National Health Statistics Reports, 32: 1–16.
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Rohit K Katial, MD - Allergy and Immunology |
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| Last Revised | February 14, 2011 |
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Last Revised:
February 14, 2011
Akinbami LK, et al. (2011). Asthma prevalence, health care use, and mortality: United States, 2005–2009. National Health Statistics Reports, 32: 1–16.
