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Asthma epidemiology and risk factors

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Abstract

Asthma is a clinical syndrome that affects all age groups. Asthma prevalence worldwide has seen a rapid increase in the latter part of the last century. Recent data has shown that asthma prevalence has plateaued and even decreased in some areas of the world, despite continuing to increase in other areas of the world. Many risk factors have been associated with asthma and the differences in distributions of these risk factors may explain the differences in prevalence. This article will review recent trends in the prevalence of asthma and recent studies that investigate risk factors of asthma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Jessica Stern & Jennifer Pier

  2. Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Golisano Children’s Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Jessica Stern & Jennifer Pier

  3. Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Golisano Children’s Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 667, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Augusto A. Litonjua

  4. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Augusto A. Litonjua

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  1. Jessica Stern
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  2. Jennifer Pier
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Correspondence to Augusto A. Litonjua.

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This article is a contribution to the special issue on Asthma: Novel developments from bench to bedside - Guest Editor: Bianca Schaub

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Stern, J., Pier, J. & Litonjua, A.A. Asthma epidemiology and risk factors. Semin Immunopathol 42, 5–15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-020-00785-1

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