Death toll highlights desperate need for asthma relief switch
Asthma deaths in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia are rising and experts warn “quick relief” blue puffers may be adding to the death toll.
Asthma deaths in Queensland are rising and experts warn sufferers that “quick relief” blue puffers alone will not save lives — and may even be adding to the death toll.
The National Asthma Council Australia has updated the Australian Asthma Handbook’s national guidelines for asthma management which now recommends that all adults and adolescents with asthma use an anti- inflammatory reliever.
Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data released on Tuesday by the council highlights the desperate need for education on the management of the respiratory condition.
In Queensland 62 females and 25 males lost their lives due to asthma in 2024 — an increase of 14 deaths in one year. While the deaths of Queensland males aged 0-74 years remained steady males aged 75 years and above saw a jump from 10 to 17 deaths.
The ABS statistics also show that while female deaths decreased in those aged 0-74, Queensland women over 75 are still the most at risk, with a jump from 36 to 52 deaths.
The highest number of deaths by state was 152 people in New South Wales, followed by 128
Victorians, 87 Queenslanders, 50 South Australians and 36 people from West Australia.
Nationally, there were 478 asthma-related deaths recorded in Australia in 2024, made up of 322 females and 156 males.
Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia all saw a rise in deaths from 2023.
NAC director and respiratory physician Professor Peter Wark said the deaths reinforce the
importance that all people with asthma receive a correct diagnosis and receive treatment with an anti-inflammatory inhaled corticosteroid-based regime.
“Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease and is always present even when symptoms seem mild. The best protection against death from asthma is treating it with an inhaled corticosteroid and your doctor can now prescribe convenient anti-inflammatory reliever therapy that is effective and safe.
“Anti-inflammatory reliever therapy provides a different type of quick-relief medicine and helps treat the underlying airway inflammation that causes asthma, as well as relieving the symptoms,” he said.
The professor said that no adult or adolescent should manage their asthma solely with a blue puffer as it doesn’t treat the cause of asthma, or prevent symptoms or flare-ups and has been strongly associated with an increased risk of asthma death.
Professor Wark stated that it was of great concern that Queensland women aged over 75 represented 60 per cent of all deaths from asthma in 2024.
“The importance of asthma may be unrecognised in this group and can often be associated with other chronic medical conditions, possibly leading to under treatment.
“More work needs to be done in this area, but late onset asthma affecting women is often driven by severe refractory inflammation that responds less well to inhaled corticosteroids. Specialist referral for those with severe asthma and poor control should be considered at any age as the treatments are so effective,” he said.
Originally published as Death toll highlights desperate need for asthma relief switch
