A Community-based Study of the Epidemiology of Asthma: Incidence Rates, 1964–1983

Abstract

To determine whether the incidence of asthma had increased in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 1964 through December 31, 1983, we used a population-based computer-linked medical diagnosis system to identify individual medical records with diagnosis of asthma or other conditions mimicking asthma. All records were reviewed using explicit predetermined diagnostic criteria; we identified 3,622 incident cases of asthma, including definite asthma (n = 1,547), probable asthma (n = 952), and single wheezing episodes (n = 1,123). The annual age- and sex-adjusted incidence of definite + probable asthma rose from 183 per 100,000 in 1964 to 284 per 100,000 in 1983. This rise was entirely accounted for by increased incidence rates in children and adolescents (age range, 1 to 14 yr); incidence rates for infants younger than 1 yr of age and for adults remained constant. For definite + probable asthma cases, the incidence rates for males were higher than for females from infancy through 9 yr of age and for persons older than 50; incidence rates for females were higher than for males from 15 through 49 yr of age. The median age at onset was 3 yr for males and 8 yr for females. We conclude that asthma begins in early childhood, with a higher incidence and earlier onset in males, and that the increase in incidence rates seen from 1964 to 1983 occurred only in children and in adolescents.

Age, Sexual Dimorphism, and Disease Associations in the Developing Human Fetal Lung Transcriptome

“…Although there exist sex-based differences in the natural history of both diseases, we did not see consistent enrichment of the gene sets associated with sex in the developing lung (G1 and G3) for these disease genes. Our results suggest that sex-specific effects previously described in the third trimester (29) are not observed during earlier phases of gestation. Finally, it is possible that these transcriptomic changes are due to a more dominant effect of postconception age when compared with sex differences in the first two trimesters.…”

Asthma incidence and accuracy of diagnosis in the Portuguese sentinel practice network

“…Often physicians diagnose asthma at an older age and retrospectively attribute the onset of asthma to a specific year. In the PSPN study the incidence rate in the age group 1-14 years was 3.74 cases per 1000 per year, considerably higher than the 1.4 cases/1000/year found by Yunginger et al in 1992. 20 The PSPN study observed a higher incidence rate in the age group 0 -4 years (5.93 cases/1000/year).…”

“…In the PSPN study the incidence rate in the age group 1-14 years was 3.74 cases per 1000 per year, considerably higher than the 1.4 cases/1000/year found by Yunginger et al in 1992. 20 The PSPN study observed a higher incidence rate in the age group 0 -4 years (5.93 cases/1000/year). It is possible that some of the children diagnosed with asthma were suffering from recurrent wheezing or bronchiolitis.…”

“…19 The figures in this study are similar to findings among adult patients in two studies conducted in the USA. 20,21 It is difficult to compare incidence among similar age groups in different studies because of the different age intervals used. Eagan et al reviewed data from several studies in 2005 and presented a comparison of the findings.…”

Epigenetic inheritance of fetal genes in allergic asthma

“…Allergic asthma usually starts early in life (8,9) and most asthmatic children are allergic. The early occurrence of allergic asthma suggests that prenatal influences are of importance (10,11) and it is likely that defects in early development of the lung, as well as the immune system are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma.…”