The burden of allergic asthma in children: a landscape comparison based on data from Lithuanian, Latvian, and Taiwanese populations.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases with an increasing prevalence and financial burden worldwide. This disease affects individuals in all countries and all ethnic groups; however, prevalence rates of asthma have been reported to vary significantly between different regions. To understand the origin of asthma and to manage it effectively, it is necessary to analyze the genetic and environmental factors that cause these geographic differences. Therefore, we aimed to review published data from the investigations of asthma patients in Eastern Europe, represented by Latvia and Lithuania, and of patients from Eastern Asia represented by Taiwan. We hope that some of the common factors can be identified and different variants can be compared among these three countries for development of a new strategy to prevent childhood asthma.
Institute of Medical Science, Tzu-Chi University, Hualian, Taiwan.
Lawrence Shi-Shin
LS
Wu
Tatjana
T
Sjakste
Raimundas
R
Sakalauskas
Brigita
B
Sitkauskiene
Natalia
N
Paramonova
Edita
E
Gasiuniene
Ren-Long
RL
Jan
Jiu-Yao
JY
Wang
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007844:Latvia; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome