Asthma is one of the most prevalent conditions in Canada. Because it is a chronic condition it requires continual medical care. Nearly 40 percent of asthma patients in Canada had at least one overnight stay in a hospital or nursing home in 2003 and more than one in eight Canadians with asthma had five or more doctor visits during 2003.
More than 2 million Canadians over the age of 12 suffer from asthma. From 1997 to 2003 the number of Canadians diagnosed with asthma increased by nearly 44 percent. Effectively managing asthma through lifestyle and environmental changes or through appropriate drug therapies can improve the quality of life of patients and reduce the economic burden of asthma in Canada.
Download the attached PDF for a more comprehensive report on the prevalance and growing incidence of asthma in Canada; broken down by Province and by age.
