Athletes and asthma.

Many Minnesotans with asthma participate in recreational and competitive sports. If asthma is undiagnosed or if it is poorly controlled, its symptoms can compromise health, impair athletic performance, and limit sports participation. It can even lead to death.

Review of the asthma mortality rate for Minnesota residents aged 55 years or older, 2004-2005: when death certificates deserve a second look.

Introduction: Asthma mortality rates are based on deaths for which asthma is coded as the underlying cause on the death certificate. We conducted an asthma mortality review to evaluate this surveillance measure for Minnesota residents who were aged 55 years or older

Methods: We enlisted an expert panel to review transcribed interviews from the next-of-kin and case histories for decedents whose deaths were attributed to asthma. In addition, we examined death certificates to determine whether the certifier had intended asthma to be the underlying cause.