Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterised by reversible airflow obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough. Underlying inflammation narrows and constricts the airways in response to allergic and non-allergic …
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterised by reversible airflow obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough. Underlying inflammation narrows and constricts the airways in response to allergic and non-allergic triggers, and the condition varies widely in severity and pattern, ranging from intermittent symptoms to persistent disease that can become life-threatening during exacerbations. Its development and expression are influenced by allergic sensitisation, environmental exposures, and host factors, and obesity and nutrition have been identified as contributors, particularly in adolescents. Diagnosis draws on the clinical history together with objective assessment of airway function and inflammation, including approaches such as nasal cytology and exhaled nitric oxide that help distinguish allergic from non-allergic respiratory disease, and asthma must be differentiated from and may overlap with other obstructive conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Management combines avoidance of triggers, pharmacological control of inflammation and bronchoconstriction, and attention to comorbidities and lifestyle, with the goals of symptom control and prevention of attacks. Research on asthma addresses its risk factors and triggers, the assessment of airway inflammation, drug hypersensitivity and cross-reactivity, comorbidity with other respiratory diseases, and strategies to improve diagnosis and long-term control.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 5 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Asthma, linking to each citing work.