Changing asthma mortality.

Background: Rates of death from asthma in the United States have increased progressively since 1978.

Objective: To identify recent trends in asthma mortality.

Methods: The National Center for Health Statistics supplied asthma mortality data (ICD 493), and the Bureau of the Census supplied population data that permitted calculation and graphing of mortality data by age group, race, sex, and region and calculation and tabulation of mortality rates by state. The Departments of Health and Vital Statistics of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand provided data that permitted calculation and graphing of rates of death from asthma (ICD 493) in those countries.

Results: Rates of death from asthma in the United States increased from 0.8 per 100,000 in 1977 and 1978 to 2.0 in 1989, fell to 1.9 in 1990 and then increased again to 2.0 in 1991. Rates have been much higher for blacks than whites; age-adjusted rates for blacks increased from 1.5 in 1977 and 1978 to 3.5 in 1991; those for whites, from 0.5 in 1977 to 1.2 in 1991. Rates of death from asthma have increased with age and across time have increased in almost all age groups. The greatest proportional increase has occurred at 10 to 14 years of age with rates of 0.1 in 1979, 0.5 in 1987, and 0.4 in 1991. Rates of death at 5 through 34 years of age have increased for both blacks and whites in all regions of the country. Increases in rates of death from asthma have also occurred in other countries, but rates have been falling in New Zealand since the peak of 8.1 in 1980 and in Australia since the peak of 5.7 in 1989.

Conclusions: The recent plateau in increases in rates of death from asthma in the United States may suggest effectiveness of improved management of asthma that may have followed increased awareness of the importance of optimal management.