Use of Inhaled Corticosteroids among Hispanics in the United States

摘要

Asthma is a major public health concern affecting 9.3% of children and 8.0% of adults across the United States (1). This burden of asthma is disproportionately distributed, however, with differences in prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and treatment practices among racial and ethnic groups (2). Given this heterogeneity, many studies of asthma have examined the effects of race and ethnicity on asthma-related outcomes.In this month's issue of AnnalsATS, Kharat and colleagues (pp. 174-183) used data from the 2009 U.S. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to compare receipt of a prescription for inhaled corticosteroids between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white individuals with self-reported asthma (3). The authors' focus on receipt of an inhaled corticosteroid prescription is appropriate, given that inhaled corticosteroids are important controller medications for persistent asthma.