Millions of people might undergo treatment for asthma without really having the condition, doctors said. Some symptoms that are linked with asthma may actually be due to heart problems and even acid reflux.
"It's very logical for general practitioners to assume most breathing problems are asthma, especially in children," said Tod Olin, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. "But there are a lot of breathing problems out there, and for children who are failing therapy, we need to think about those other diagnoses."
Asthma is a chronic, lung condition that narrows the airways, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The disease causes chest tightening, wheezing and coughing. In the U.S., about 25 million people suffer from asthma, of which at least 7 million are children.
Doctors at National Jewish Health found that between 2005 and 2008, one out of every four asthma patients referred to the hospital didn't have the condition.
Also, about 70 percent of asthma patients had other conditions that were overlooked by doctors.
"That is really eye-opening," said Dr. Olin in a news release. "We spend a lot of time and resources treating people for asthma in this country, and for some, it's just the wrong diagnosis.'
The cost of treating asthma- both direct and indirect spending- came up to about mce_markernbsp;56 billion in 2007. The number of people diagnosed with asthma has increased in the past few years, from 20 million in 2001 to 25 million in 2009.
Dr. Olin and team re-evaluated the patients that were referred to National Jewish Health, which led to a more accurate diagnosis. The team cut hospitalization risk by half. In many cases, they found that the patient suffered from a condition that wasn't related with asthma and needed a different treatment.