August 3, 2000 – Since 1993, the number of people seeing a doctor for asthma-related problems has fallen by 35% in Britain. The decline is observable for all age groups, all regions and all seasons. The phenomenon appears after a period of 20 years during which the cases of asthma have multiplied by three in adults and by five in children.
The study, carried out by the Royal College of General Practitioners, challenges the idea that the prevalence of asthma continues to rise. During the period studied (1988-1999), researchers saw the number of cases increase from 1988 to 1993 and then decrease steadily since then, from a weekly rate of 49 per 100,000 in 1993 to 32 per 100,000 in 1999.
This fall surprised all the experts who are reduced to providing various hypotheses, related either to a change in the environment, or to a reduced reactivity to the factors triggering asthma. According to Dr. Martyn Partridge, senior advisor for the National Asthma Campaign, “the increase seen over the past 20 years could not continue because it is unlikely that the entire population is genetically susceptible to the disease. ”
Experts cannot explain the constant rise in the prevalence of asthma over the past 20 years: all sorts of possible reasons have been suggested ranging from central heating, to the presence of “wall to wall” carpets, to smoking, vaccinations and antibiotics. The most plausible explanation is that of the “hygienic assumption” that the modern sanitized environment decreases the development of natural resistance to allergens.
They are just as surprised by the current decrease in asthma cases. According to some, it is possible that asthma simply follows the natural tendency of almost all diseases to have periods of highs and lows.
HealthPassport.net
According to The Independent, July 19, 2000
