Epidemiological Trends in Asthma

Many markers of asthma morbidity have shown substantial increases over the past two decades, including family physician visits, use of anti‐asthma medications, emergency room visits and hospital admissions. The reported prevalence of diagnosed asthma and of wheezing has increased, especially in children, with accompanying evidence of increased atopy and increased airway responsiveness. Allergen exposure and parental smoking are significant risk …