Asthma Rates Climb for Children, Adults

Some 24.6 million Americans had asthma in 2009, up from 20.3 million at the beginning of the decade, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, affected 8.2% of all U.S. residents in 2009, up from 7.3% in 2001, an increase of 12.3%, the CDC said. Children were more prone than adults to have asthma, and women more than men. African-Americans were affected at higher rates than other ethnic groups. About half of persons with asthma reported having an asthma attack in the preceding 12 months, the CDC said. The cause of asthma isn't clear, and federal health officials said they aren't sure why the rates increased over the last decade. The condition is characterized by episodic and reversible attacks of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. . read more.