Considerable energy has been expended over the last two decades in developing methods for identifying the presence of asthma among participants in population studies. The objective of this endeavour has commonly been to enable epidemiological research on risk factors for asthma, with the ultimate ai...m of preventing the disease. However, there are other reasons for measuring the prevalence of asthma in populations, including the desire to assess the burden of disease attributable to asthma, to track changes over time, and to compare the prevalence among population groups defined by geographical, demographic or social factors. Two major international collaborative studies arising from this work have made major contributions to our knowledge about asthma
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The Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)1 was developed and validated to measure the primary clinical goal of asthma management as identified by international guidelines. They indicate that to achieve good control, treatment should minimise day and night time symptoms, activity limitation, airway narr...owing and rescue bronchodilator use and thus reduce the risk of life-threatening exacerbations and long-term morbidity. The importance of including all aspects of control in the assessment of individual patients was emphasised by a recent factor analysis which showed that clinical asthma is composed of distinct components which are not closely correlated with each other.6 However, in some studies it may not be possible to collect airway calibre or short-acting β2-agonists data. Previous analysis of non-clinical trial data suggested that when ACQ scores are analysed as group data, the heterogeneity of the way in which individual patients present with inadequate control is lost in the estimation of the mean and the need to measure each individual component of asthma control may become unnecessary. In this analysis, ACQ data from a clinical trial was used to evaluate the measurement properties (reliability, responsiveness, validity and interpretability), of three shortened versions of the ACQ. In addition, we have examined whether the precision and accuracy of estimating the effect of the intervention on asthma control was maintained when the two questions concerning airway calibre and short-acting β2-agonists use were omitted from the trial analysis.
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Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in the world and is increasing in prevalence, particularly in Africa and other low-income countries. The disproportionately high numbers of premature deaths and severe or uncontrolled cases in many African countries are indicative of th...eir inability to cope with a costly disease like asthma. Progress has, however, been made in understanding the complex and heterogeneous nature of the disease. The objective of this study will be to summarise the epidemiological literature on the nature of asthma in African countries.
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Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are among the leading causes of death worldwide, with asthma rated the most common chronic disease affecting children (1). Globally, about 300 million people have... asthma, and current trends suggest that an additional 100 million people may be living with asthma by 2025.
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Bronchial asthma is the most frequent chronic respiratory disease in both adults and children. The prevalence and burden of asthma vary considerably between different regions of the world. Information on asthma in Africa is fragmentary and relativel...y old.
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A worldwide increase in the prevalence of asthma has been reported in recent years. With an increase in prevalence comes an increased burden of disease in terms of morbidity, mortality and compromised quality of life. The economic burden in terms of... utilisation of healthcare resources and limitation of the earning capacity of the individuals and families is an added problem. Various indicators such as disability-adjusted life years and healthy life years have been used to define the economic burden. The data from Asian countries regarding these parameters is scarce, underlining the need for systematic studies in these countries, especially those that are resource poor. The purpose of this review is to highlight the varying prevalence of asthma in Asia and to assess the likely economic burden for the future.
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It is estimated that as many as 300 million people of all ages, and all ethnic backgrounds, suffer from asthma and the burden of this disease to governments, health care systems, families, and patients is increasing worldwide. In 1989 the Global Ini...tiative for Asthma (GINA) program was initiated in an effort to raise awareness among public health and government officials, health care workers, and the general public that asthma was on the increase. The GINA program recommends a management program based on the best available scientific evidence to provide effective medical care for asthma tailored to local health care systems and resources.
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The Global Asthma Report (GAR) 2022, prepared by the Global Asthma Network (GAN), is the fourth such report (others 2011, 2014, 2018). GAN builds upon the work of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung ...s="attribute-to-highlight medbox">Disease (The Union) to monitor asthma and improve asthma care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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The National Asthma Education Programme (NAEP) is a registered non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide asthma education to healthcare professionals, patients and the lay public. It was founded in 1994 by Dr Mike Greenblatt and Profs Dave... Luyt and Robin Green. This year NAEP celebrates its 25th anniversary and remains driven by the need to improve the daily lives of numerous asthmatics in South Africa (SA) and Africa.
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Over the past 20 years, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has regularly published and annually updated a global strategy for asthma management and prevention that has formed the basis for many national guidelines. However, uptake of existing guidelines is poor. A major revision of the GINA r...eport was published in 2014, and updated in 2015, reflecting an evolving understanding of heterogeneous airways disease, a broader evidence base, increasing interest in targeted treatment, and evidence about effective implementation approaches. During development of the report, the clinical utility of recommendations and strategies for their practical implementation were considered in parallel with the scientific evidence.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease, a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs. It causes difficulty in breathing, and includes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Asthma affects people in varying deg...rees. For some, the symptoms are minor; for others, they may be life threatening.
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The 2023 update of the Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention incorporates new scientific information about asthma based on a review of recent scientific literature by an international panel of experts on the GINA Science Committee. This comprehensive and practical resource about one o...f the most common chronic lung diseases worldwide contains extensive citations from the scientific literature and forms the basis for other GINA documents and programs.
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Read about our flagship publication, The Global Asthma Report 2022, a 102-page cutting edge State-of-the-Art report, with contributions from 97 experts from, 31 countries.
The theme for this year is "Asthma Education Empowers", and emphasizes the need to empower people with asthma with the approp...riate education to manage their disease, and to recognize when to seek medical help.
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Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease (CRD) worldwide and is estimated to affect 262 million causing significant mortality and morbidity, and has emerged as an important public health problem in many Latin American (LA) countries ove...r the last 30 or so years. LA is a highly diverse region in terms of geography, climate, wealth, and ethnicity including 20 different countries with 639 million inhabitants, where 40 million are estimated to have asthma. A common feature of LA countries is the high level of social inequalities3 (Figure 1). In LA, asthma prevalence in both children and adults is highly variable and, where high, is among the highest worldwide, particularly in coastal tropical cities.
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Asthma is the commonest chronic childhood disease and encompasses a spectrum of airway diseases with similar symptoms. Inaccurate diagnosis remains common, especially in younger children, with failu...re to characterize the different “asthmas.” Children worldwide repeatedly suffer symptoms which severely affect their everyday lives. Children die from asthma, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). In many countries, asthma prevalence is rising. Access to effective care and changing environments are hugely variable and may explain the higher morbidity in inner-city children, in LMICs, and in deprived populations in high-income countries. Despite the disease being eminently controllable, morbidity and mortality persist.
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Chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kill more than
four million people every year and affect hundreds
of millions more. These ...ibute-to-highlight medbox">diseases erode the health
and well-being of the patients and have a negative
impact on families and societies. Women and
children are particularly vulnerable, especially those
in low and middle income countries, where they are
exposed on a daily basis to indoor air pollution from
solid fuels for cooking and heating. In high income
countries, tobacco is the most important risk factor
for chronic respiratory diseases, and in some of
these countries, tobacco use among women and
young people is still increasing.
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You can’t cure asthma. However, you can take steps to control the disease and prevent its symptoms. For example:
-Learn about your asthma and ways to control it
-Follow your written asthma action plan
-Use medicines as your doctor prescribes ...(Here’s how to use your inhaler device)
-Identify and try to avoid things that make your asthma worse
-Keep track of your asthma symptoms and level of control
-Get regular checkups for your asthma
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The National Asthma Education Programme (or NAEP for short) was started in 2008. We are a registered Non-Profit Organisation that aims to disseminate impartial information about asthma diagnosis and treatment to health professionals and the South Af...rican public.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.
Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightne...ss. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can come and go over time.
Although asthma can be a serious condition, it can be managed with the right treatment. People with symptoms of asthma should speak to a health professional.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.
Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightne...ss. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can come and go over time.
Although asthma can be a serious condition, it can be managed with the right treatment. People with symptoms of asthma should speak to a health professional.
more