Almost 70% of asthma deaths are women

Almost 70 per cent of people who died from asthma in Scotland last year were female, a charity has revealed.

The Asthma and Allergy foundation revealed today that death rates from the respiratory illness are at "crisis levels" after 96 people died from the condition last year.

Chief executive of the charity, Martina Chukwuma Ezike, said the number of women dying from the condition was "of even greater alarm" with figures showing64 out of 96 of those who died were women – 67 per cent of the total deaths.

A total of 1,162 people in Scotland have died from the condition in the last decade.

Ms Chukwuma-ezike said: "Asthma is out of control in Scotland and today's figures clearly show that we cannot continue to ignore the problem.

"Each of the 96 deaths last year represent a massive waste of human potential. At last half of them could have been prevented.”