More asthma, but fewer symptoms
18 March 2004

More children in the UK are being diagnosed with asthma, but are having fewer symptoms, according to new research.

The study, funded partly by the National Asthma Campaign, compared the results of two surveys carried out in 1995 and 2002 among 15,000 12-14-year-olds (years 8 and 9) from schools across the British Isles. Scientists used the same questionnaires, most of the same schools and did the surveys at the same time of year.

They found that in 2002 the proportion of children who said they had been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives had increased by 26% to one in four. However, when it came to current symptoms, there were sharp decreases: instances of wheezing had dropped by 19%; the number of youngsters who said they experienced frequent attacks had fallen by a third; and 24% fewer pupils reported having speech-limiting attacks.

These results correspond with data from other sources, which show that over the period covered by the research, hospital admissions for asthma attacks fell for this age group, as did visits to the GP because of asthma. However, diagnoses of asthma in the UK are at an all-time high.

Professor Ross Anderson, who led the study, said that it was unclear why symptoms had fallen: 'Just as we do not know why the prevalence of symptoms of asthma has increased since the 1950s, we do not know why it should now be decreasing.

'The increased use of effective treatment, especially inhaled steroids, is likely to have been important in reducing the severity of episode,' he suggested, 'but this is unlikely to explain the decrease of mild, wheeze symptoms.'

Kate Webb, the Campaign's senior policy and information officer said: 'This paper suggests that asthma remains a widespread concern for children and parents in the UK. The fall seen in symptoms and attacks in this study is a step in the right direction, and although we are not sure what is causing this change, it may be a result of improvements in the treatment, awareness and understanding of asthma.'

The research was published in the BMJ.