Follow-up studies of asthma from childhood to adulthood.

One of the main questions from parents of children with asthma is whether the child will outgrow the disease and what is the role of treatment. All outcome studies show that in the transition period from childhood to adulthood asthma symptoms decrease and thereby asthma seems to be cured. However, the reality is that more than 50% of children with asthma suffer from asthma in adult life. The role of treatment is uncertain, since all studies began in a period when inhaled corticosteroids and other novel medications were not available. The recent findings from a study of bronchial biopsies in subjects in remission from asthma for more than 3 years suggests that asthma might persist throughout life. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.