Asthma deaths hold steady, but rise among older people

The National Asthma Council (NAC) is reminding health practitioners of the importance of managing their patient’s asthma through consistent use of an anti-inflammatory inhaler.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data released by the council shows there were 39 deaths from asthma in WA in 2025, up three from the year before.

Of those, 30 were women and nine were men, showing asthma deaths still disproportionately affect women.

While the overall deaths in the state have remained steady, there were big jumps among some age groups.

Deaths of men aged 0-74 years remained quite stable, however men aged 75 years and above jumped from one to seven.

Women aged 0-54 years had a slight increase in deaths, but for those aged 55-74 years there was a bigger jump from one to nine. Deaths of women aged over 75 decreased by 30%.

Nationally, there were 484 asthma-related deaths recorded in Australia in 2025, made up of 315 women and 169 men. That number is marginally higher than the 478 people who died due to asthma in 2024.

Emeritus Professor Amanda Barnard, board member of the NAC, said the data was a good reminder to treat underlying inflammation.

She said the challenge was that asthma is perceived by many as an episodic disease, so people think they only have asthma when they have symptoms.

“We know this is not true and we know that treatment of the underlying inflammation with an anti-inflammatory reliever can be life-saving,” she said.

“No adult or adolescent should manage their asthma solely with a blue puffer as it doesn’t treat the underlying cause of asthma or prevent symptoms or flare-ups and has been strongly associated with an increased risk of asthma-related death.

“Anti-inflammatory reliever medications are combined in the one inhaler, so it is much more convenient for people with asthma and ensures that every inhalation works to reduce inflammation.”

Professor Barnard said of particular concern in the most recent data was the consistently high death rate amongst women nationally, particularly those aged over 75.

“One of the factors is that people over 75 often have comorbid conditions including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, reflux or obesity,” she said.

“Not only may these complicate diagnosis and management, but patients may not prioritise their asthma, especially if they do not have regular symptoms.

“Older people with asthma and other comorbidities need to understand that even if they don’t have symptoms every day, relying only on a blue puffer, or needing it often, means they could be at risk of severe asthma attacks.

“The aim of asthma treatment should be to maintain good control of asthma symptoms and prevent flare-ups and using an anti-inflammatory reliever is the best way to achieve this.

“Recognising that acute severe and life-threatening attacks of asthma can occur even in people who may have so-called ‘mild asthma’ is an important step.”

The most recent version of the Australian Asthma Handbook recommends that all adults and adolescents with asthma should use an anti-inflammatory reliever.

GPs should ensure patients have an updated written asthma plan so they know what to do in an emergency.