Asthma is a chronic imflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness to stimuli, variable airflow limitation, and respiratory symptoms, including wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness or discomfort in the chest and/or dry cough.

Asthma symptoms can be triggered by exposure to viral upper respiratory infections, pollen, molds, pet dander, cockroaches, dust mites, tobacco smoke, wood smoke, household chemicals, workplace exposures and some types of air pollution. Exercise, aggravating conditions that are not properly treated (e.g. rhinitis, gastroesophageal reflux), and stress can also trigger or exacerbate existing asthma. The particular triggers that will exacerbate asthma vary by the individual. If not treated appropriately, ashtma can cause long-term loss of lung function and severe outcomes, such as hospitalizations and even death.

Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. With appropriate disease management, people with asthma can prevent asthma symptoms, during the day and night, and maintain normal activity levels. People whose asthma is adequately managed should not experience sleep disruption or miss days of school or work because of their asthma. Finally, they should have minimal need for emergency department visits or hospitalizations because of their asthma.

Asthma Epidemiology Staff

Asthma Epidemiologist: Elizabeth Wasilevich, PhD, MPH
Chronic Disease Epidemiology Section, Bureau of Epidemiology

Environmental Epidemiologist: Robert Wahl, DVM, MS
Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Bureau of Epidemiology

What We Do

We conduct surveillance on asthma prevalence, quality of life for people with asthma, asthma management, indicators of asthma control, the quality of health care received, and the severe outcomes related to asthma, such as hospitalizations and death.

For further program information on asthma, please visit the MDCH Asthma Program website.

Asthma Surveillance Publications

Reports:

Epidemiology of Asthma in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Community Health's Bureau of Epidemiology publishes a comprehensive report entitled Epidemiology of Asthma in Michigan. As chapters of this document are completed, they will be published on our website and can be used as stand-alone documents. The chapters that are complete to date are:

Chapter 1: Introduction and Report Summary  (PDF) 
Chapter 2: Asthma Prevalence  (PDF) 
Chapter 5: Asthma Control and Clinical Management  (PDF)  
Chapter 8: Hospitalization for Asthma  (PDF)
Chapter 9: Asthma Burden for Children in Medicaid  (PDF)
Chapter 10: Asthma Mortality  (PDF)
Chapter 12: Detroit - The Epicenter of Asthma Burden  (PDF)

To view the previous edition of the 2004 Epidemiology of Asthma in Michigan Report, please click here.  (PDF)

Michigan Asthma Call-Back Survey Tables
The Michigan Asthma Call-Back Survey has been conducted annually since 2005 in conjunction with the Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (MiBRFS). Standard tables based on these data are available on the MiBRFS website.

Annual Report of the Asthma Mortality Review Project
This is a joint report of the Michigan State University Department of Medicine and the Michigan Department of Community Health Bureau of Epidemiology. Although the number of deaths is not large, the circumstances surrounding these deaths are dramatic. The deaths are particularly tragic because they are preventable. Click here to download the annual reports for this project.

Annual Report of Work Related Asthma in Michigan
Please click here to download the annual reports for this project.

Fact Sheets:

• Targeting Asthma in Michigan - The Healthy People 2010 Objectives, 2006   (PDF)
• Targeting Asthma in Michigan - The Healthy People 2010 Objectives, 2003   (PDF)
• Asthma Prevalence, Severity and Management for Michigan Adults, April 2005  (PDF)
• Disparities in Michigan's Asthma Burden, July 2005  (PDF)

Other Helpful Links Related to Asthma

The Asthma Initiative of Michigan is a collaborative effort involving multiple partners from public and private sectors across the state and is committed to reducing the burden of asthma in Michigan. For more information about the Asthma Initiative of Michigan, including the strategic plan Asthma in Michigan 2010: A Blueprint for Action, visit: www.getasthmahelp.org.

Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma - Full Report, 2007 provides guidance for selecting treatment based on a patient's individual needs and level of asthma control. The guidelines emphasize that while asthma can be controlled, the condition can change over time and differs among individuals and by age groups. Thus, it is important to monitor the patient's level of asthma control so that treatment can be adjusted as needed.

The full set of guidelines can be viewed at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Website.

Click here to go back to the Chronic Disease Epidemiology Section Webpage

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