Jodie M. Gil Photo
Asthma rates or on the rise in Connecticut, and ER visits for asthma-related issues are also increasing.
The State Department for Public Health reports people in urban areas New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport, and New London were admitted to the ER for asthma-related symptoms twice as often as suburban residents.
Minorities were also found to be more prone to asthma, the primary reason being a high number of them live in cities. The urban environment, and the smog and pollution that comes with is, is the common denominator.
From the story: "In 2012, the state DPH published 'The Burden of Asthma in Connecticut,' which reviewed data from school asthma tracking programs, death certificates, federal labor reports, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveys, state Medicaid data and hospital records...
The 166-page report reviewed data from 2000 to 2010. During that time, the rates of people who were hospitalized for asthma increased by 29.2 percent. For those who listed asthma as the secondary reason for hospitalization, the rate jumped by 86.2 percent."
Read the rest of the story at Connecticut Health I-Team