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Women are more likely than men to suffer from asthma. They have more asthma attacks, go to the hospital more often, and are more likely to die. To reduce these inequalities, the Asthma + Lung UK association calls for global mobilization.
Pollen and air pollution are well-known asthma triggers, but what you might not know is that periods of hormonal changes (puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, peri-menopause and menopause ) can also cause a flare-up of asthma symptoms, and even life-threatening attacks. The British Association Asthma + Lung UK educates individuals on the subject on its website, and in his latest report.
Worsening of asthma during menstruation
“Women are more likely to have asthma, have more severe symptoms and die from it”, says Asthma + Lung UK. “Many women experience a significant worsening of their symptoms around the time of their period and are at risk of having life-threatening asthma attacks each month.”
30-year-old British Poppy Hadkinson spoke out in a short video fromAsthma + Lung UK about what she endured for years because of her asthma. “I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 11 years old, which in hindsight is the middle of my puberty. Over the next decade I had regular asthma attacks and had to go to the hospital up to six times a year”. But her asthma got stronger every time she had her period. “Almost every month as my period approached, I suffered from asthma. My symptoms prevented me from breathing, which was terrifying, and I often ended up in the hospital”says the young woman.
Asthma + Lung UK said many people were unaware that fluctuations in female hormones could cause asthma symptoms to flare up and even trigger life-threatening attacks.
“In childhood, more boys than girls suffer from asthma. But things change at puberty. After this period, girls are twice as likely to develop asthma as boys. This is partly due to hormones. According to one theory, the male hormone – testosterone – protects the airways of boys after the age of 11, while female hormones appear in girls”explains the British association.
A lack of consideration at odds with the high death rate
Today, people still die of asthma. According to the WHO, most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where underdiagnosis and inadequate treatment remain problematic. And it is women who are most affected by the disease, and by its deadly consequences.
According to Asthma + Lung UK, two-thirds of asthma deaths in the UK are in women. For France, the latest figures on asthma mortality from Public Health France date from 2014. Of 851 deaths for that year, 570 were female and 281 male. The difference is quite obvious: more than two thirds of the deaths concerned women.
Poppy Hadkinson regrets the lack of consideration of doctors: “Although we saw some amazing doctors and healthcare professionals, none of them really took the link (between asthma and female hormones) seriously”.
The British association deplores, for its part, the lack of allocated resources and research devoted to asthma in women around the world: ”Despite this experience for many women around the world, very little research has been done to understand the cause.” laments the association.
The charity said the current approach to treating asthma, which is to apply a one-size-fits-all solution, “does not work” since it does not take into account the impact of female sex hormones during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause on asthma symptoms and attacks. The report adds that additional measures must be taken to combat these “glaring inequalities in health”.
Another world is possible
“If a collective effort is applied to a global problem – as seen in the response to Covid – lives can be saved. That’s why we’ve brought together leading scientists, funders and pharmaceutical companies in a meeting to discuss how to transform outcomes for women with asthma,” pleaded the association.
Now recovered, Polly Hadkinson explains that a new life is possible: “The asthma attacks I suffered from were so bad that I was ventilated four times when I was 22 and wondered if I would make it to my next birthday. I then started using a biological drug, omalizumab, which changed my life. In a few weeks, I could do a full week of work, I could continue my career”.
Asthma + Lung UK thus encourages general practitioners to explore potential triggers with their patients and to adapt their medication regimen. Women are also encouraged to follow the prescription of their preventative medicine carefully, to perform an annual check-up and to keep a symptom diary which could help them identify triggers.
The general manager ofAsthma + Lung UKSarah Woolnough appealed to the public authorities: “By understanding the role of sex hormones in asthma, we could transform the lives of millions of asthmatic women around the world. More investment in research is urgently needed to find new treatments and make better use of existing treatments. to help millions of women and save lives”.