Physiologic consequences of long term inflammation

The most recent guidelines for asthma (1–4) emphasize theneed for future research into several unexplored or poorly exploredareas of asthma. One of these areas is the natural historyof asthma, particularly the natural history and the physiologicconsequences of asthmatic bronchopulmonary inflammation.This review will consider the evidence that asthma is a diseaseassociated with both an exaggerated decline in lung functionand an increase in mortality, the relationship of airway inflammationas we understand it to such events, and the potentialfor early therapeutic intervention to modify the disease process.