Temporal trends in asthma mortality over 30 years

Abstract

Background: Bronchial asthma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is limited availability of updated information on asthma mortality trends. In this context, further investigation of asthma mortality trends is necessary.

Objective: We aimed to assess trends in asthma mortality trends in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (over 7 million inhabitants), Spain, during the period 1975-2005.

Method: Official population estimates and data on asthma deaths were obtained from official authorities. Crude and age-adjusted death rates for different age and gender groups were calculated. Joinpoint regression analysis was used for trend analysis.

Results: Age-adjusted death rates for asthma have fallen 2.9% for females and 7.7% for males from 1975 to 2005. This trend has not been constant but has varied during the study period. After a non-significant increase from 1975 to 1981 (4.5% for females and 3.8% for males), adjusted asthma mortality rates have been declining 3.7% for females and 9.6% for males (both p values < 0.05) since 1981. Age-group analysis revealed that the downturn in asthma mortality rates occurred in all age groups above 45 years for males and 35 years for females.

Conclusions: During the last decades, significant variation in asthma mortality was found in Andalusia. This variation has not been constant during the study period. Currently, the decreasing trend initiated in 1981 continues.