Asthma data in Türkiye between 2016 and 2022: a nationwide descriptive and observational study covering the entire adult population.

Abstract

Background/aim: Determining the current burden of asthma in countries is important in the diagnosis and follow-up of asthma patients and for the development of national health policies. Our study aimed to clarify the epidemiological and clinical data regarding asthmatic adults in Türkiye.

Materials and methods: The study was designed as a nationwide descriptive, observational cross-sectional study. Data on adult patients who were followed with the diagnosis of asthma in all public, private, and university hospitals in Türkiye between January 2016 and December 2022 were obtained from the e-Nabız database of the Ministry of Health and analyzed.

Results: The number of patients followed with a diagnosis of asthma in Türkiye between 2016 and 2022 was 2,700,183. The mean age of these patients was 45.70 years (standard deviation: 15.87) and 74.5% of them were female. Of the patients, 92.3% were prescribed dry powder inhalers, 98.41% metered dose inhalers, and 80.38% montelukast. The short-acting beta-2 agonist (SABA) prescription rate was 65.74% and SABA was prescribed as the sole medication for 0.10% of patients. The percentage of patients prescribed nebulized treatment was found to be 69.83%. Among asthmatic adults, the rate of at least one emergency room visit was 12.4%, the rate of hospitalization in the ward was 5.6%, and the rate of intensive care unit admission was 0.1%.

Conclusion: Asthma is a major health burden in Türkiye, as is the case around the world. National planning for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients needs to be improved and continued.