America's worse cities for asthma.
America's worse cities for asthma.
Worst Cities for People With Asthma Announced
March 16, 2004 -- Controlling your asthma may be a lot harder in Knoxville, Tenn., than in San Francisco or Florida, according to a new ranking of the America's top "asthma capitals."
The first annual list from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reveals the worst cities for people with asthma. Researchers ranked the top 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on 15 prevalence, risk, and medical factors related to asthma, including:
Knoxville, Tenn., Little Rock, Ark., and St. Louis topped the list as the three worst cities for asthma sufferers. Conditions were found to be much more favorable for people with asthma in the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, and Daytona Beach, Fla., which ranked at the bottom of the list of asthma capitals.
The metro area with a total score of 100 points did not necessarily have the "most severe" score for every factor, but rather, it achieved the highest composite score.
"The asthma capitals list gives us evidence of how prevalent asthma is across the country -- a disease that has increased twofold in the last two decades," says Derek Johnson, MD, of Temple University Children's Medical Center, in a news release. "Despite the rising incidence, we are seeing an alarming amount of uncontrolled asthma, which points to the need for better education."
Surprisingly, several big cities were ranked in the bottom 50 (the best cities for asthma sufferers) including: Atlanta ranked at No. 47, Washington at 50, Chicago at 56, and Los Angeles at 85.
America's Top Asthma Capitals
Worst Cities for People With Asthma Announced
March 16, 2004 -- Controlling your asthma may be a lot harder in Knoxville, Tenn., than in San Francisco or Florida, according to a new ranking of the America's top "asthma capitals."
The first annual list from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reveals the worst cities for people with asthma. Researchers ranked the top 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on 15 prevalence, risk, and medical factors related to asthma, including:
- Prevalence of asthma
- Asthma-related deaths
- Outdoor air quality
- Annual pollen measurements
- Smoking laws
- Number of asthma prescriptions filled per patient
- Number of asthma specialists
Knoxville, Tenn., Little Rock, Ark., and St. Louis topped the list as the three worst cities for asthma sufferers. Conditions were found to be much more favorable for people with asthma in the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, and Daytona Beach, Fla., which ranked at the bottom of the list of asthma capitals.
The metro area with a total score of 100 points did not necessarily have the "most severe" score for every factor, but rather, it achieved the highest composite score.
"The asthma capitals list gives us evidence of how prevalent asthma is across the country -- a disease that has increased twofold in the last two decades," says Derek Johnson, MD, of Temple University Children's Medical Center, in a news release. "Despite the rising incidence, we are seeing an alarming amount of uncontrolled asthma, which points to the need for better education."
| 2004 Ranking | Metropolitan Area | Total Score |
| 1 | Knoxville, Tenn. | 100.00 |
| 2 | Little Rock, Ark. | 87.02 |
| 3 | St. Louis | 86.37 |
| 4 | Madison, Wis. | 83.32 |
| 5 | Louisville, Ky. | 82.32 |
| 6 | Memphis, Tenn. | 82.13 |
| 7 | Toledo, Ohio | 82.08 |
| 8 | Kansas City, Mo. | 81.96 |
| 9 | Nashville, Tenn. | 81.69 |
| 10 | Hartford, Conn. | 81.67 |
| 11 | Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y. | 81.53 |
| 12 | Johnson City, Tenn. | 81.51 |
| 13 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa. | 81.51 |
| 14 | Springfield, Mass. | 80.99 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh | 80.97 |
| 16 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wis. | 80.68 |
| 17 | Chattanooga, Tenn. | 80.39 |
| 18 | Detroit | 80.23 |
| 19 | Dayton-Springfield, Ohio | 80.04 |
| 20 | Indianapolis | 79.71 |
| 21 | Columbus, Ohio | 79.70 |
| 22 | Fresno, Calif. | 79.60 |
| 23 | Wichita, Kan. | 79.42 |
| 24 | Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pa. | 78.96 |
| 25 | Lexington, Ky. | 78.95 |
| 26 | Albany-Schenedtady-Troy, N.Y. | 78.95 |
| 27 | Philadelphia | 78.45 |
| 28 | Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, N.C. | 78.26 |
| 29 | Oklahoma City | 78.12 |
| 30 | Syracuse, N.Y. | 78.03 |
Surprisingly, several big cities were ranked in the bottom 50 (the best cities for asthma sufferers) including: Atlanta ranked at No. 47, Washington at 50, Chicago at 56, and Los Angeles at 85.
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