A frightening set of numbers
- Asthma is classified by the Centers for Disease Control as a major public health problem.
- Nearly one in 13 Americans has asthma.
- Asthma is the most common chronically disabling disease of childhood. .
- In U. S. cities, poor children are three to five times more likely to have severe attacks, be hospitalized, or die from asthma.
- More Americans have asthma than have diabetes, cystic fibrosis, breast cancer or Parkinson's.
- In 2004, asthma was the cause of 14.5 million missed workdays.
- Asthma accounts for close to 1.8 million emergency room visits and approximately 500,000 hospital stays a year.
- Healthcare costs totaled $11.5 billion in 2004.


