Technology

BRITAIN has one of the highest asthma attack death rates in Europe.

Latest figures show we are the sixth worst out of 33 countries.

While death rates have gone down in most, here they’ve shot up by 20 per cent over the last five years.

Experts blame a lack of basic NHS care and poor awareness of the seriousness of the condition.

It’s believed that two-thirds of about 1500 deaths a year could be avoided.

But Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma UK, said there is hope on the horizon in the shape of smartphone health apps, smart inhalers and research into groundbreaking drugs.

The condition has many triggers, from dust mites and tobacco smoke to air pollution and family pets, and it can change in intensity.

“Asthma can vary across a person’s lifetime and attacks can be sudden, unpredictable and life-threatening,” Dr Whittamore said.

Inhalers were revolutionary in coping with the illness when they became routinely available in the 70s, but there is still a lot of room for improvement if the death rates are to be cut, he said.

“Progress has not been as fast with asthma as with other long-term conditions, which is why more funding and research is needed to find better treatments, better diagnostic tools and, ultimately, a cure for asthma,” explains Dr Whittamore.

He said there is no “one size fits all” approach to asthma care and he believes that sufferers’ best chance of avoiding a killer attack lies in breakthroughs in medication and technology, which can help them manage the condition more effectively. PROMISING Hope for young sufferers that there may be a cure one day Smartphone health apps could become a valuable weapon in the fight against asthma, said Dr Whittamore. They can remind people to take their medications, track whether they are taking them regularly and, in future, could communicate this information to their GP or asthma nurse.

Apps could also give information on how to avoid triggers such as air pollution or pollen.

They could also be used to keep track of asthmatics’ symptoms and peak flow, which measures how quickly someone can blow air out of their lungs.

Asthma UK’s WhatsApp Chat Helpline is already working as a new way for specialist nurses to provide one-to-one advice and support for people with asthma.

The service launched in mid-March and allows people with asthma to contact the charity’s nurses with any questions about the condition, such as taking their medications or understanding asthma triggers.

So far, nearly 300 people with asthma have used the service.

Many sufferers may not have time in From Ast