Asthma Preventive Medicine in 2006--Who Takes Them. Statistical Brief No. 237

摘要

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease in which the airways of the lungs become inflamed and constricted. Data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey show that 9.9 percent of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (29.7 million people) has been told by a doctor or other health professional at some point in their lives that they have asthma. Of these, approximately 33 percent have had an asthma episode during the past 12 months while an additional 39 percent have not had an asthma attack and report they still have asthma. Thus, approximately 72 percent of those who have ever been told they have asthma have current asthma. This represents 7.1 percent of the total population. The treatment of asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, can involve long-term control or preventive medications, quick relief or rescue medications, or allergy medications for allergy-induced asthma. This Statistical Brief presents estimates of the use of daily asthma preventive medicine among those with current asthma for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2006.