Lifetime asthma prevalence among U.S. adults in 2021, by state

As of 2021, the states with the highest lifetime prevalence of asthma among adults included New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In New Hampshire and Rhode Island around 17.4 percent of adults self-reported that a doctor, nurse, or other health professional had told them that you had asthma at some pinot in their lifetime. Asthma is a chronic disease affecting the airways of the lungs that can be mild or severe and can cause shortness of breath, tightness or pain in the chest, coughing, and wheezing.

The prevalence of asthma in the United States

Asthma in the United States is more common among men than women, with around 8.9 percent of women with current asthma in 2021, compared to 6.5 percent of men. Current asthma is also more common among adults than children, with those aged four years and below the least likely age group to suffer from the disease. It is unclear what exactly causes asthma; however it is believed that both environmental and genetic factors play a role. In 2021, non-Hispanic Blacks were more likely to report currently suffering from asthma than their non-Hispanic white and Hispanic counterparts.

Death from asthma

Medicine for asthma can help control the disease in the long-term and provide short-term relief from symptoms. Therefore, deaths from asthma in the United States are rare, with it being the underlying cause of death in about one out of every 100,000 population. The states with the highest death rates from asthma are Mississippi, Hawaii, and Oregon. In 2020, there were a total of 4,145 deaths due to asthma in the United States.