Asthma in the 21st Century

Asthma in the 21st Century: New Research Advances provides an overview on asthma, with discussions on its heterogeneity, risk factors and their interrelations, and e-health in an aging world based on current research knowledge. The book covers heterogeneity of the disease beyond severe asthma, new risk factors, new diagnoses with climate change, a focus on chemical exposures at home, e-health and links with aging, and notable advances in key areas such as diet and microbiota, the genetics of asthma, and the asthma versus COPD debate.

Worldwide, the total number of asthma sufferers is estimated to be ~270 million with an additional 100 million expected to develop asthma by 2025, and asthma is the most common chronic disease among children. There are a number of clinical books available on asthma, but none with much discussion on current scientific findings and new disease understanding. Yet, the concept of asthma has evolved quickly in the past 5–10 years, with many clinicians struggling to keep up with new scientific findings.