4% of Deaths Due to CRDs

Around 4% of all deaths in the country occur due to chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), said Dr Ahmad Kousha, head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Center at the Health Ministry on Wednesday.

“Currently 10% of Iranian children and 9% of adults suffer from asthma, one of the most prevalent CRDs,” ISNA quoted him as saying.

During an asthma attack, the lining of the bronchial tubes swells, causing the airways to narrow, he explained.

People’s awareness of respiratory diseases should be raised. The risk factors for developing the diseases include tobacco smoke, air pollution, occupational chemicals and dusts, and frequent minor respiratory infections during childhood.

Other respiratory diseases are chronic obstructive pulmonary  and occupational lung diseases, and pulmonary hypertension.