Genetic and Perinatal Risk Factors for Asthma Onset and Severity: A Review and Theoretical Analysis

• Michael B. Bracken ^[1] ; Kathleen Belanger ^[1]
  1. [1] Yale University

     Yale University

     Town of New Haven, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Epidemiologic reviews, ISSN 0193-936X, ISSN-e 1478-6729, Vol 24, 2, 2002, págs. 176-189
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Asthma is a major chronic disease, and several studies indicate that it is on the rise worldwide (1). A recent report (2) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the prevalence of self-reported asthma in the United States rose 75 percent from 1980 to 1994, with 17.3 million asthmatics in 1998 (3). In 2000, asthma accounted for more than 11.2 million medical visits, including 1.8 million to emergency rooms (4, 5). Asthma is characterized by lung inflammation, reversible airflow obstruction, and enhanced airway responsiveness to a variety of environmental stimuli and is a phenotypically heterogeneous disorder with variable disease expression.