[Asthma epidemiology].

Asthma is excessively common among the individuals (up to 10% in adults and 35% in children). Asthma is differently distributed in the world. Asthma incidence is 1%/y in average. Children are at greater risk of asthma than adults, which could be due to a cohort effect. Severe asthma is reported by 1-3% of the general population (children and adults respectively). Recent population-based data show that the asthma prevalence increase observed worldwide in the past 30 years has now stopped in industrialised countries. Such phenomenon has been paralleled by an increase in the use of asthma medications. The development and phenotypic expression of asthma depends on a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Gene-environment interactions already in early life should be explored to understand asthma epidemiological evolution.