Access to care, environmental factors linked to racial disparities in asthma

An NHLBI-funded study found that persistent racial disparities in asthma can largely be explained by socioeconomic and environmental factors, such as access to healthcare and housing conditions. The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, resulted from an analysis of data from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Severe Asthma Research Program.

Despite advances in asthma care, African Americans are disproportionally affected by the condition, and have worse outcomes compared with white patients. The study highlights the potential of targeted interventions, such as mobile asthma clinic programs and joint programs with schools where asthma prevalence is high. Asthma is a leading cause of school absence.