[Epidemiology and costs of asthma in Germany - a systematic literature review]

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and incidence as well as the health care costs of asthma specifically in the German setting.

Methods: Two systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed in December 2012 (updated in March 2014). All publications in German and English were included.

Results: After review of title, abstracts and full publications, 17 relevant studies included information on the prevalence and incidence of asthma. The 12-month prevalence for adults ranges between 4.6 % and 6.34 % (children: 3.8 % - 11.8 %). At younger ages, asthma is more prevalent in boys. In adulthood, more women are affected. We identified seven cost-of-illness studies. The direct costs range between € 690.4 m and 1.36 bn. The reported health care costs depend on the perspective, the severity of disease and the database, so that a comparison of results is difficult.

Conclusion: All in all, this review underlines the epidemiological and health economic importance of asthma in Germany. Several studies on the prevalence of asthma are available, but there is little information on the current incidence of this disease. Further research is necessary for obtaining a comprehensive picture of the current health care costs.