Asthma: A Preventable Cause of Hospital Mortality. What Has Been the Trend in Mexico in Recent Years?

Abstract

Introduction: Asthma has a significant global impact, affecting approximately 260 million people worldwide. Although mortality has decreased in recent years, it still causes around 420,000 deaths annually. This study aims to describe hospital mortality due to asthma in Mexico during the period 2020–2024.

Methods: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective analysis was

conducted using public records from the General Directorate of Health Information. Deaths with a diagnosis of asthma (ICD-10 codes J45, J46) were analyzed. Hospital mortality, averages, frequencies, and proportions were calculated. The variables included: year, age, sex, and federal entity.

Results: In Mexico, between 2020 and 2024, a total of 188 hospital deaths due to asthma were recorded, with an overall hospital mortality rate of 0.09% and an annual average of 0.1%. Mexico City reported the highest number of deaths (n=21), while Hidalgo registered the highest mortality rate (0.42%). The year with the most deaths was 2023 (n=46), and 2021 had the highest mortality rate (0.14%). Of all deaths, 56.45% were in women and 43.55% in men, with mortality rates of 0.1% and 0.08%, respectively. Adults aged 60 years and older accounted for the highest number of deaths (n=64) and the highest mortality rate (0.31%). The 10 to 14-year-old age group had the highest number of discharges but only 7 deaths, with a low mortality rate (0.01%).

Conclusions: Although asthma mortality has shown a decreasing trend in recent years, it remains a public health problem in Mexico. Between 2011 and 2021, an estimated 36,009 Years of Life Lost due to Premature Death occurred annually due to asthma, highlighting its ongoing epidemiological burden. Since most asthma-related complications and deaths are largely preventable, more effective strategies must be implemented to support its prevention.

Keywords: Asthma, Deaths, Mortality, Mexico, Epidemiology.