Report From the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System

Although the number of new cases of asthma per year has declined between 2000–2001 and 2011–2012, the number of Canadians living with the disease has increased for the same time period due to the chronic nature of the disease. [...] The purpose of this report is to illustrate the burden of asthma and COPD in the Canadian population by reporting the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of these chronic respiratory diseases. [...] DENOMINATOR DEFINITION The denominator for the rate and proportion calculations in the report was the number of individuals in the provincial and territorial health insurance registries. [...] The high co-morbidity of asthma with diabetes, REPORT FROM THE CANADIAN CHRONIC DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM: ASTHMA AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) IN CANADA, 2018 23 hypertension, mood and/or anxiety disorders, and COPD suggests the treatment and management of asthma requires the consideration of all comorbid diseases and conditions, and vice versa. [...] Chronic inflammation causes structural changes and narrowing of the small airways in the lungs.”30(p2) These changes decrease the ability of the lungs to exchange gases and to supply oxygen to the body.