Researchers conducted a population-based study using information collected by CDC Wide-Ranging Online data for Epidemiologic Research, which is based on death certificates for U.S. residents. They identified all patients, 15 years and older, who had asthma as the underlying cause of death. They calculated mortality per 100,000 persons based on the 2000 U.S. Census.
A total of 61,815 asthma deaths occurred during the study period. African American women had the highest age-adjusted asthma mortality rate while white men had the lowest.
The incidence of asthma mortality decreased from 2.1 in 1999 to 1.2 in 2015 per 100,000 persons, representing a 42 percent drop. The highest decrease in mortality across age groups was among asthma patients older than 65 years — the group experienced a 54 percent decrease.
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