Burden of Asthma in Europe from 1990 to 2021: A Sub-analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study

Background: Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition affecting approximately 260 million people. Genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors influence the incidence, morbidity, and mortality rates due to asthma. While the global burden of asthma has been evaluated, the data on its burden in Europe is limited. This study investigates the asthma burden trend in Europe from 1990 to 2021. Methods: Data on incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), years of life lost (YLL), and mortality rates due to asthma in Europe between 1990 and 2021 were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. The data were analyzed using joinpoint regression using Python libraries. Results: The prevalence, incidence, YLL, DALY, and mortality decreased from 5568.25, 736.99, 217.17, 476.48, 9.46 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 3340.12, 516.70, 131.07, 264.62, 5.20 per 100,000 population in 2021. Western Europe had the highest asthma burden in 1990, but significantly narrowed the gap with Central Europe by 2021. Eastern Europe consistently maintained lower rates across all metrics. Eastern Europe experienced significant reductions in asthma mortality rates by 2021. Poland was the only country with an increase in asthma incidence rates. Conclusion: Asthma burden has significantly decreased across Europe, although disparities exist between countries. This downward trend could be attributed to improvements in environmental conditions and advancements in asthma treatment.