Over 28 million individuals in the United States (US) suffer from asthma,1,2 and the ailment is thought to be the greatest chronic disease in children, impacting around 4.9 million of those under the age of 18.2,3
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Asthma is one of the most common and expensive diseases in the United States, and these harsh statistics demonstrate why asthma is still relevant in 2026. This article will look at the prevalence of asthma and how advanced technology may help, as part of Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
Asthma has a considerable impact on healthcare and the economy. Between 2008 and 2013:
- Missed work and school days led to $3 billion in damages
- Asthma-related deaths cost $29 billion
- Medical expenses tallied $50.3 billion
The statistics show that asthma is a commonly experienced disease, but it is crucial to note that this chronic condition can be managed. However, outcomes are not equal, and certain communities are disproportionately affected.
These differences are influenced by a variety of structural, social, biological, and behavioral factors. Structural disparities, including systematic racism, residential segregation, and discriminatory policies, often have an impact on the conditions in which people live, work, and get care.5
Such factors, in turn, influence socioeconomic determinants such as income, education, housing quality, environmental exposures, and access to healthcare.
Biological factors and individual behaviors, such as genetics and smoking or medication adherence, respectively, play a role. However, it is the larger social and structural disparities that primarily promote differential asthma outcomes among populations.
The hidden problem: Poor asthma control
Many of the millions of people who are diagnosed with asthma do not have it effectively controlled. It is estimated that 44 % of children with asthma have uncontrolled asthma,6 which can result in exacerbation of symptoms and severe asthma episodes.
Many asthma patients rely primarily on rescue inhalers, which only treat the symptoms and do not address the underlying airway inflammation. This brief respite can make patients feel more in control of their asthma, but without addressing the underlying reason, asthma remains uncontrolled beneath the surface.
Misdiagnosis is another factor that contributes to poor asthma control. Asthma can be allergic or non-eosinophilic; if the specific type of asthma is misdiagnosed, this could result in ineffective or over/under-treatment.
A lack of objective measurement in routine care can also impair asthma control. Traditionally, asthma management has been based on symptoms, patient recollection, and peak flow.
If clinicians focus solely on these points, they may overestimate or underestimate control, leading to inappropriate treatment escalation or reduction. Symptoms may not necessarily indicate underlying inflammation, potentially leading to missed opportunities for early management.
As a result, access to objective, point-of-care techniques like fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) testing is required. Without objective measurement, asthma management frequently depends on what can be seen and heard, rather than what is happening at the inflammatory level inside.
What is FeNO testing?7
A FeNO test is a simple, non-invasive method for measuring airway inflammation, particularly eosinophilic inflammation.
When the airways are inflamed, more nitric oxide (NO) is produced. This gas may be detected in exhaled breath, and greater levels indicate inflammation, making FeNO testing an important tool in asthma care and control.
FeNO, as a non-invasive, rapid point-of-care test, can assist in the identification of type 2 inflammation and predict steroid responsiveness, allowing doctors to recognize inflammation that symptoms alone cannot detect.
How FeNO improves decision-making
FeNO plays an important role in the asthma pathway, as a diagnostic tool, and a means to help treat and control asthma. Asthma diagnosis and management can be difficult, as explored, and in the past, healthcare experts depended on guessing. FeNO testing changes this guesswork, as it can:
- Provide guidance on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use
- Support asthma diagnosis
- Monitor medication adherence
- Predict exacerbation risk
- Minimize needless medication escalation
FeNO is recognized in global guidelines for asthma care and management, with ATS/ERS advice establishing it as a practical tool to support diagnosis, guide anti-inflammatory treatment, and monitor airway inflammation, thus assisting physicians in transitioning from symptom-based to more objective asthma care.8
Expanding access to FeNO testing
Objective testing methods have the potential to change asthma care, but access is still an issue. Limited availability outside specialist facilities, time constraints in primary care, and geographical disparities have all contributed to the underuse of techniques such as FeNO.
As a result, there is a disparity between what is possible and what is actually given in everyday care: technological advancements are only important if they are accessible.
Bedfont® Scientific Limited, an innovative UK-based MedTech firm with nearly 50 years of experience in medical breath analysis, has been enhancing asthma care and management globally for over 15 years with its NObreath® FeNO device.
The company collaborates with a US distributor, coVita™, to improve access to FeNO testing by offering a low-maintenance, affordable device.
In 2025, the NObreath® became the preferred FeNO device among allergists in the United States, with Allergy Partners providing FeNO testing at over 125 locations throughout 20 states.
This agreement guarantees that FeNO testing is introduced into everyday care rather than remaining limited to specialty settings, allowing more patients to be tested closer to home.
The future of asthma care
This Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, Bedfont wants to highlight how early intervention can improve long-term results for asthma patients.
Technological advancements have made objective testing methods, such as FeNO, more widely available, which is critical as biomarker-driven care becomes the norm. FeNO devices, such as the NObreath®, provide clinicians with more information about underlying inflammation that would otherwise go undetected, resulting in better patient management.
References
- NCHS/DHIS (2021) NHIS Adult Summary Health Statistics. Available at: https://data.cdc.gov/National-Center-for-Health-Statistics/NHIS-Adult-Summary-Health-Statistics/25m4-6qqq/about_data.
- NCHS/DHIS (2021) NHIS Child Summary Health Statistics. Available at: https://data.cdc.gov/National-Center-for-Health-Statistics/NHIS-Child-Summary-Health-Statistics/wxz7-ekz9/about_data
- Ferrante, G. and La Grutta, S. (2018) The burden of pediatric asthma. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 6, p. 186. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6023992/.
- Nurmagambetov, T., et al. (2018) The economic burden of asthma in the United States, 2008–2013, Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 15(3), pp. 348–356. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29323930/
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (2020) Asthma disparities in America. Available at: https://aafa.org/asthma-allergy-research/our-research/asthma-disparities-burden-on-minorities/.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Uncontrolled asthma among children 2018–2020. Available at: https://archive.cdc.gov/#/details?url=https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthma_stats/uncontrolled-asthma-children-2018-2020.htm.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (2021) What is a FeNO test? Available at: https://www.aaaai.org/Tools-for-the-Public/Conditions-Library/Asthma/What-Is-A-FeNO-Test.
- Murphy, R.C., et al. (2022). Summary for Clinicians: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Use of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide to Guide the Treatment of Asthma. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 19(10), pp.1627–1630. DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202204-289cme. https://academic.oup.com/annalsats/article-abstract/19/10/1627/8418634.
About NObreath
The NObreath® is a FeNO device by Bedfont® Scientific Ltd. which can be used to measure airway inflammation for the management and diagnosis of asthma.
Our mission is to help improve asthma diagnosis & management of adults and children worldwide through FeNO measuring. Our purpose is to make FeNO measuring more accessible globally, with the creation of an effective yet cost-efficient FeNO device and equally low cost consumables.
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