ABSTRACT
Asthma is a disease that is rising in prevalence throughout the United States and the world. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the prevalence of asthma in the United States increased from 7.3% of the population to 8.2% from 2001 to 2009 (Figure 22.1). Worldwide, using conservative measures, 300 million people have asthma, and 1 out of every 250 deaths is attributed to asthma. In the United States, the mortality rate is lower (3347 deaths in 2007) and 1.1/100,000 deaths are caused by asthma. Mortality has plateaued and is now decreasing in the United States as deaths from asthma dropped by 27% between 1999 and 2009. The disparity between mortality numbers in the US and the world indicate that if awareness was improved and treatment was more readily available the worldwide burden could be decreased.
