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Cited by 281Asthma and respiratory diseasesChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ResearchOccupational exposure and asthma

Trends in international asthma mortality: analysis of data from the WHO Mortality Database from 46 countries (1993–2012)

Ebmeier, Stefan, Thayabaran, Darmiga, Braithwaite, Irene, Bénamara, Clément, Weatherall, Mark, Beasley, Richard·2017·The Lancet
DOI 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31448-4
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Abstract

Background International time trends in asthma mortality have been strongly affected by changes in management and in particular drug treatments. However, little is known about how asthma mortality has changed over the past decade. In this study, we assessed these international trends.Methods We collated age-standardised country-specific asthma mortality rates in the 5-34 year age group from the online WHO Mortality Database for 46 countries. To be included in the analysis, we specified that a country must have 10 years of complete data in the WHO Mortality Database between 1993 and 2012. In the absence of consistent and accurate asthma prevalence and prescribing data, we chose to use a locally weighted scatter plot smoother (LOESS) curve, weighted by the individual country population in the 5-34-year age group to show the global trends in asthma mortality rates with time.Findings Of the 46 countries included in the analysis of asthma mortality, 36 were high-income countries, and 10 were middle-income countries. The LOESS estimate of the global asthma mortality rate was 0·44 deaths per 100 000 people (90% CI 0·39-0·48) in 1993 and 0·19 deaths per 100 000 people (0·18-0·21) in 2006. Despite apparent further reductions in some countries and regions of the world, there was no appreciable change in global asthma mortality rates from 2006 through to 2012, when the LOESS estimate was also 0·19 deaths per 100 000 people (0·16-0·21).Interpretation The trend for reduction in global asthma mortality observed since the late 1980s might have stalled, with no appreciable difference in a smoothed LOESS curve of asthma mortality from 2006 to 2012. Although better implementation of established management strategies that have been shown to reduce mortality risk is needed, to achieve a further substantive reduction in global asthma mortality novel strategies will also be required.Funding The Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, which is supported by Health Research Council of New Zealand Independent Research Organisation.

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  • Despite novel treatments and improved inhalers for topical therapies, no further improvements in either mortality or hospitalization rates have been observed in the last decade, either in children or in adults.

    “However, despite novel treatments and improved inhalers for the administration of topical therapies, no further improvements in either mortality or hospitalization rates have been observed in the last decade, either in children or in adults (15).”

    From Epidemiology of Asthma in Children and Adults (2019) · cites this paper as [15]

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Authors
Ebmeier, S., Thayabaran, D., Braithwaite, I., Bénamara, C., Weatherall, M., & Beasley, R.
Affiliations
  • Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (NZ)
  • University of Otago (NZ)
Corresponding author
Beasley, Richard
ORCID
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-09
Volume
390
Issue
10098
Pages
935-945
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
DOI
10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31448-4
OpenAlex
W2744610392
Cited by
281
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 6
FWCI
25.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational exposure and asthma
Keywords
asthma mortality, mortality trends, asthma management, WHO Mortality Database, age-standardized mortality rates, high-income countries, middle-income countries
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Asthma, Cause of Death, Child, Child, Preschool, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Female, Humans, Male, Mortality, Global Health, World Health Organization, Databases, Factual, Young Adult

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