哮喘大约影响 3 千万的欧洲人口和超过 2 千 5 百万的美国人。[2]Braman SS. The global burden of asthma. Chest. 2006 Jul;130(1 Suppl):4S-12S.https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(15)32952-4/fulltext?code=chest-sitehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16840363?tool=bestpractice.com[3]Moorman JE, Akinbami LJ, Bailey CM, et al. National surveillance of asthma: United States, 2001-2010. Vital Health Stat 3. 2012;35:1-67.http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_035.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24252609?tool=bestpractice.com 全球约有 3 亿哮喘患者,到 2025 年可能增加到 4 亿。[4]Masoli M, Fabian D, Holt S, et al; Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Program. The global burden of asthma: executive summary of the GINA Dissemination Committee report. Allergy. 2004;59:469-478.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2004.00526.x/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080825?tool=bestpractice.com 2010 年美国哮喘患病率为 8.4%。[3]Moorman JE, Akinbami LJ, Bailey CM, et al. National surveillance of asthma: United States, 2001-2010. Vital Health Stat 3. 2012;35:1-67.http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_035.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24252609?tool=bestpractice.com
来自美国的医疗保健数据显示,2009 年有 120 万人因哮喘到医院门诊就医,479,300 人因哮喘住院。[3]Moorman JE, Akinbami LJ, Bailey CM, et al. National surveillance of asthma: United States, 2001-2010. Vital Health Stat 3. 2012;35:1-67.http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_035.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24252609?tool=bestpractice.com 黑人哮喘患者的住院率和病死率最高。[3]Moorman JE, Akinbami LJ, Bailey CM, et al. National surveillance of asthma: United States, 2001-2010. Vital Health Stat 3. 2012;35:1-67.http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_035.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24252609?tool=bestpractice.com 尽管对哮喘的病理生理机制和治疗方法的认识不断增加,但对哮喘的治疗仍不足。