Asthma
Authors: Christine Laine
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2007)

In the Clinic5 June 2007AsthmaChristine Laine, MD, MPH, David R. Goldman, MD, and Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., MDChristine Laine, MD, MPHSearch for more papers by this author, David R. Goldman, MDSearch for more papers by this author, and Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-11-200706050-01006 SectionsSupplemental MaterialAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Editor's Note: This issue of In the Clinic has been updated.Asthma, which is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, is one of the most common respiratory illnesses. The global prevalence of asthma is increasing despite the development of new therapeutic approaches. Over the past 20 years, asthma mortality in the United States has declined; however, morbidity, as measured by hospitalizations and emergency department visits, continues to climb. Currently, about 1 in 20 Americans have asthma; in children, recent estimates suggest an incidence as high as 10%. In certain groups of Americans, such as persons of lower socioeconomic status and ...References1. Li JT, O'Connell EJ. Clinical evaluation of asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1996;76:1-13; quiz 13-5. [PMID: 8564622] Google Scholar2. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Expert Panel Report 2: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Bethesda MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 1997; Publication 97-4051. Google Scholar3. Corrao WM, Braman SS, Irwin RS. Chronic cough as the sole presenting manifestation of bronchial asthma. N Engl J Med. 1979;300:633-7. 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