We dedicate almost all of this week's issue to asthma-one of the most elusive of all common chronic disorders. An estimated 300 million people live with asthma worldwide; this is expected to increase to 400 million by 2025. Morbidity and mortality are high despite treatment that is effective in the majority of patients. Asthma deaths are estimated to account for one in 250 deaths worldwide, and even in developed countries where patients have easy access to treatment, asthma is often under-recognised and undertreated with sometimes fatal consequences.
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