Asthma is a Disease of Epidemic Proportions
Magnitude of the Problem
Statistical information demonstrates that asthma is an epidemic that is both serious and widespread, and that it has been growing rapidly. The disease affects all age groups: infants, school children, young adults, baby boomers, and seniors. Nearly one in every 13 people in the United States has the disease, and the growth of asthma among children is particularly alarming. Other little known facts include:
- The cost to society of asthma is approximately $20 billion in direct and indirect healthcare costs annually.
- Asthma is the most serious, chronic, disabling disease of childhood.
- Childhood asthma has sky-rocketed in the inner city. Asthma disproportionately strikes the poor, who are at least 50 percent more likely to have the disease than those not living in poverty. While the reasons are not completely clear, research by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrates that a combination of poverty-related issues trigger attacks.
- Because of asthma, children miss approximately 13 million school days a year. Poor children, already at risk for failure, are therefore more likely to fall even farther behind in their schoolwork. They may be obese, because they find it difficult to engage in physical activities and sports.
- Approximately 11 percent of all asthma sufferers are over age 65. Respiratory tract infections, especially common among the elderly, often trigger attacks. Asthma can contribute significantly to early physical deterioration and even death among the elderly.
- Asthma causes approximately 10 million missed workdays a year.
- Asthma is only partially controlled by the best treatments available.
Despite the overwhelming prevalence of the disease and the suffering it causes, relatively little progress has been made to date in improving treatment, understanding the causes, preventing, and finding a cure.
