Sex Differences Among Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department With Acute Asthma

Abstract
ASTHMA IS a common disease, and its prevalence and natural history vary by sex.1 From 1982 to 1992, the prevalence of asthma among US women increased 82% (from 2.9% to 5.4%) compared with an increase of only 29% among US men (from 4.0% to 5.1%).2 During these same years, asthma mortality increased among women 59% (from 15 to 25 deaths per million population) vs a 34% increase among men (from 12 to 16 deaths per million population).2 Although some investigators3,4 attribute these trends to sex differences in biological susceptibility or environmental exposures, they may also be caused by differences in asthma diagnosis and management.