Donohue J
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Respir Care Clin N Am. 1995 Dec;1(2):193-213.
Asthma is a chronic airway disorder that is a serious public health problem in many countries. Asthma affects people of all ages. It ranges from mild to severe and sometimes is fatal. Over 100 million people worldwide have asthma and the prevalence is increasing, especially in the cohort aged 1 to 14 years. Risk factors that lead to the development of asthma appear to be largely environmental and therefore potentially preventable. Lifestyle changes and exposure to allergens may be responsible for the increase in prevalence.
哮喘是一种慢性气道疾病，在许多国家都是严重的公共卫生问题。哮喘影响所有年龄段的人。其病情从轻度到重度不等，有时甚至是致命的。全球有超过1亿人患有哮喘，且患病率正在上升，尤其是在1至14岁的人群中。导致哮喘发病的风险因素似乎主要是环境因素，因此有可能预防。生活方式的改变和接触过敏原可能是患病率上升的原因。
