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Epidemiological trends

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Trends in mortality:

  • peaked in young people in 1960s:
    • possibly due to over-the-counter availability of beta-agonists
    • beta-agonists were non-selective and given in high, possibly toxic, doses
    • inappropriate symptomatic relief probably resulted in serious asthma going undetected

  • increasing death rates in old patients since 1980s:
    • probably due to changes in diagnosis
    • asthma used to be labelled as COAD

Trends in morbidity:

  • the prevalence of asthma is increasing

  • the frequency of young children presenting with asthma to the primary care and hospital systems is increasing

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