MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Two Pennsylvania cities -- Scranton and Philadelphia -- are first and third on the annual U.S. Asthma Capitals list issued by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Richmond, Va. is number two in the ranking, which is based on 12 factors, including asthma prevalence, pollen counts, public smoking laws, school inhaler access laws, number of asthma specialists and asthma medication use per patient.
One of the AAFA's priorities is raising awareness of allergic asthma, which affects more than 10 million Americans. Scranton and Richmond had some of the highest recorded pollen levels. Other cities in the top 10 list include Atlanta, Ga.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Greensboro, N.C.; Youngstown, Ohio; Saint Louis, Mo.; and Detroit, Mich.
Nearly half of all asthma patients do not have their asthma under control, according to the AAFA. "There have been enormous advances in the treatment of allergic asthma," said Derek Johnson, M.D., director of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and assistant professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Temple University Children's Medical Center, in a statement. "Unfortunately, too many asthma patients believe that interruptions to their daily lives are a part of living with this condition, and do not seek proper treatment. Today, we can treat not just the symptoms but the underlying cause."
The 2006 Asthma Capitals ranking is part of AAFA's ongoing research and educational programs, made possible through financial support from Genentech, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
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