Kodadhala V, et al. - Given that asthma mortality based on the underlying cause of death (UCOD) underestimates disease burden, researchers analyzed asthma mortality in the US 1999-2015. Using multiple-cause of death (MCOD) records, they looked at the pattern of reporting of asthma and its co-morbidities in death certificates. Asthma was chosen as UCOD most often in NHBM and least often in NHWF, among deaths with any mention of asthma. In addition, the observed decline in age-adjusted MCOD rates was most in NHWM and least in NHWF.

• Researchers analyzed all 156,517 death certificates with any mention of asthma for 1999-2015.
• Asthma was defined by ICD-10 code J45 based either on the UCOD or MCOD.
• According to age, gender and race/ethnicity, they computed annual age-adjusted asthma death rates.
• They also assessed the 6,304 MCOD coded status asthmaticus (J46).

• The occurrence of a total of 59,067 deaths with UCOD of asthma was reported in years of 1999-2015, of which 37,832 were females and 21,235 were males (F/M = 1.78).
• Researchers reported the occurrence of a total of 156,517 deaths with MCOD of asthma, of which 101,371 were females and 55,146 were males (F/M=1.83).
• They noted that 37.7% of deaths with any mention of asthma had asthma as the UCOD, 37.3% females and 38.45% males.
• Percents were White Hispanics (HW), 41.7% in non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) and 36% in non-Hispanic whites (NHW).
• The observed change age adjusted MCOD death rates between 1999-2015 was as follows: Females HW -38.1%, NHB -34.1%, and NHW -15.1%; Males HW -28.5%, NHB -21.3% and NHW -25.0%.
• Throughout the period, the highest MCOD and UCOD rates were reported in NHB females and males.