Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2018; 39(01): 003-011
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1618568
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Epidemiology of Asthma and Influence of Ethnicity

Theo J. Moraes
1   Divison of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Malcolm R. Sears
2   Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
,
Padmaja Subbarao
1   Divison of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
10 February 2018 (online)

Abstract

Asthma is a heterogeneous disorder with a complex etiology. Prevalence rates for asthma have been increasing in many countries over the past few decades. While it is unclear why this increase is occurring, the variation reported in asthma prevalence and severity associated with ethnicity offers some insight into the determinants of asthma. In this chapter, we discuss the data linking asthma to ethnicity and some of the factors that may explain this association. These include socioeconomic status, environmental exposures, the host microbiome, and genetics. A better understanding of these processes may inform future mechanistic studies and identify modifiable risk factors for targeted health care interventions.

 
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