Mortality due to asthma in Spain, 1990-2015

Introduction: Asthma is a major public health problem affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. The importance of a disease can be measured by its prevalence, burden of care, and its morbidity and mortality. Objective: To determine the mortality rates for asthma in Spain in the period 1990-2015. Material and methods: The number of deaths attributed to asthma by gender and five-year age groups, together with the population as of July 1 between the years 1990-2015 were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. Based on these data, the gross mortality rate per 100,000 global inhabitants was calculated, by gender and age groups. Results: In 2015, 1,134 people (195 men and 939 women) died in Spain with a diagnosis of asthma as the main cause, with rates of 0.82 / 100,000 inhabitants compared to 2.58, respectively. The asthma mortality rates in Spain have remained stable for the last 25 years, and are slightly higher than those in the surrounding countries. While asthma mortality has declined by over 67% in males, it has increased by 32% in females. The deaths are concentrated in those over 65 years, and particularly over 80 years, where the value of death certificates is more limited. Mortality in the 5-35 years age groups is among the lowest in Europe. (C) 2019 Sociedad Espanola de Medicos de Atencion Primaria (SEMERGEN). Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.