BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The prevalence and mortality rates of asthma in many countries have increased in the past 2 decades. The purpose of this study was to determine the trends of asthma mortality in Taiwan from 1981 through 2000. METHODS: Data from the National Health Statistics for Taiwan identifying asthma [International Classification of Disease (ICD)-9 code 493] as the underlying cause of death were collected. Age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates of asthma were calculated and the 20-year trends were analyzed. RESULTS: The crude mortality rate of asthma decreased from 8.17 to 4.53 per 100,000 general population, and the age-adjusted mortality rate decreased from 8.17 to 2.37 per 100,000 during the 20-year period. This trend of decreasing mortality was most obvious for age groups older than 35 years, i.e., from 4.05 to 1.20 per 100,000 in those aged 35 to 54 years and from 47.43 to 13.44 per 100,000 in those aged 55 to 74 years. The mortality rate for asthma in those aged 15 to 34 years remained the same, around 0.40 to 0.35 per 100,000 population. For those below 15 years of age, the mortality rates for asthma fluctuated between 0.30 and 0.10 per 100,000 population. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of asthma has steadily decreased in Taiwan in the past 20 years, especially in the age groups above 35 years.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The prevalence and mortality rates of asthma in many countries have increased in the past 2 decades. The purpose of this study was to determine the trends of asthma mortality in Taiwan from 1981 through 2000. METHODS: Data from the National Health Statistics for Taiwan identifying asthma [International Classification of Disease (ICD)-9 code 493] as the underlying cause of death were collected. Age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates of asthma were calculated and the 20-year trends were analyzed. RESULTS: The crude mortality rate of asthma decreased from 8.17 to 4.53 per 100,000 general population, and the age-adjusted mortality rate decreased from 8.17 to 2.37 per 100,000 during the 20-year period. This trend of decreasing mortality was most obvious for age groups older than 35 years, i.e., from 4.05 to 1.20 per 100,000 in those aged 35 to 54 years and from 47.43 to 13.44 per 100,000 in those aged 55 to 74 years. The mortality rate for asthma in those aged 15 to 34 years remained the same, around 0.40 to 0.35 per 100,000 population. For those below 15 years of age, the mortality rates for asthma fluctuated between 0.30 and 0.10 per 100,000 population. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of asthma has steadily decreased in Taiwan in the past 20 years, especially in the age groups above 35 years.