Tuesday May 1 is World Asthma Day – a day to educate and raise public awareness to improve the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.

Asthma is a respiratory disease that can be brought on by pollution, various allergies or genetic predisposition. It affects 9% of children, and those under the age of 15 account for over 65% of hospitalizations for the condition. Asthma remains under-diagnosed and insufficiently treated. Although often trivialized, it is responsible for 900 deaths per year in France.

During an attack, the walls of the airways swell, which causes them to narrow and make breathing difficult. These symptoms can also occur with physical effort or strong emotions such as anger or fear.

Recently, a team from Inserm and the CNRS has demonstrated that allergic asthma is triggered by the hyperactivity of a protein called interleukin 33. Being able to block this mechanism would therefore make it possible to develop new treatments.

Committed to improving the diagnosis and treatment of this chronic disease, Inserm researchers are available to answer your questions – particularly regarding its risk factors, development and existing treatments.