Printer-friendly version How many people in the United States have asthma? It is hard to know the exact number of people with asthma.   It is estimated that 31.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their life.   Close to 20.3 million Americans currently have asthma and 12 million have had an asthma exacerbation in the past year.   In 2001, it was estimated 6.3 million children under age 18 have asthma and 4 million had an asthma exacerbation that year.   Of the 6.3 million children, 1.1 million were under age 5, and 5.2 million were between the ages of 5-17.   Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness in children in the United States and it is the number one cause of school absences that is related to chronic conditions.   Experts estimate that 14 million school days are lost annually due to asthma.   Asthma is also the third leading cause of hospitalization of children under the age of 15.   Asthma in adults accounts for 14.5 lost workdays each year.   Asthma has been on the rise over the last decade and it seems to be increasing most in certain segments of the US population – notably children, African-Americans, and women.    (From American Lung Association – www.lungnet.com) How many people in Minnesota have asthma Again, it is hard to know the exact number.   One in 10 Minnesota adults age 18 and older report that they have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives.   7% of Minnesota adults (nearly 350,000 people) report that they currently have asthma.   A greater percentage of adults living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area report that they have asthma than in Greater Minnesota.   The scope of asthma in children in Minnesota is not yet known.   We do know that rates of hospitalization and emergency department visits for asthma are greatest in children less than 5 years old and residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. ( From Minnesota Department of Health)

© 2002-2004 American Lung Association of Minnesota
Medical Disclaimer