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Nearly
All Asthma Deaths Preventable
HONG
KONG (Reuters Health) - Nearly all deaths caused by asthma could
be prevented if sufferers and their doctors had a better understanding
of the disease, according to an Asia-wide survey released Tuesday.
``Underestimation
is the main culprit of asthma deaths. Over 95% are preventable
if we can assess the severity properly and use treatment promptly,''
Hong Kong respiratory specialist Christopher Lai said at a news
conference to unveil the results of the regional study.
The World
Health Organization (WHO) estimates at least 150 million people
suffer from asthma worldwide, and that more than 180,000 people
die from it each year.
Asthma is
a chronic respiratory disease, often linked with allergies, that
is characterized by sudden recurring attacks of labored breathing,
chest constriction, and coughing.
The Asian
study, sponsored by international pharmaceutical manufacturer
GlaxoSmithKline, involved over 3,200 asthma patients and parents
of asthma sufferers in 13 cities across China, Hong Kong, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. It was
conducted between September and December 2000.
The findings
revealed many of those afflicted with asthma do not realize the
severity of their condition or that the disease can be controlled.
Many also
said that their diagnosis and treatment had been insufficient.
Sixty percent said their doctors had never given them a simple
lung function test.
Forty-three
percent of those studied said they had been awakened at night
due to asthma in the past 4 weeks.
Another 44%
said they had been hospitalized, had to visit an emergency department
or had required urgent care because of their conditions in the
past 12 months.
Over 91% of
respondents had not been treated with corticosteroids, considered
by some doctors as the most effective preventative treatment around.
``There is
perceived fear to use steroids because many fear it would bring
about side effects. It is actually quite safe to inhale it,''
said Lai.
``Persons
with asthma are enduring unnecessary suffering and risk, while
more severe asthmatics are putting their lives in danger through
poor asthma management,'' he said.
Lai said a
deterioration in the environment had aggravated the suffering
of asthma patients.
``With the
worsening of air quality, you can have increased asthma symptoms
and increased hospitalization from asthma.''
The WHO says
the number of asthma sufferers has been rising steadily in the
last 2 decades.
Reference
Source 89
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