Background: Asthma represents a significant global health challenge, exhibiting considerable variation in prevalence, incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across regions and countries. This study evaluates global, regional and national trends in asthma burden from 1990 to 2021, analysing associations with temporal, geographical and demographical factors. Methods: Using open data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database (1990–2021), we analysed changes in asthma prevalence, incidence, mortality and DALYs by gender, age and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) groups. Joinpoint regression analysis calculated the average annual percentage change (AAPC) and annual percentage change (APC). Results: From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardised prevalence and incidence rates of asthma declined by 40.01% and 29.89%, respectively. While asthma deaths increased slightly, the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) declined by 46.01%. The highest prevalence was observed in South Asia, East Asia and high-income North America, while low-SDI regions exhibited elevated mortality and DALYs. The age and sex-specific patterns indicated a higher asthma burden among females. The results of the joinpoint analysis indicated a global age-standardised incidence rate increase between 2005 and 2010 for both males and females. The ASMR exhibited a statistically significant decline from 1990 to 2021. Conclusions: The global age-standardised rate of asthma burden declined from 1990 to 2021. However, asthma remains a significant public health issue, particularly in regions with lower socioeconomic development. Understanding global and regional trends in asthma can inform future policies and interventions, aiming to promote more equitable prevention, diagnosis and treatment worldwide.

In December 2019, COVID‐19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) outbroke in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, China. The disease rapidly spread to other areas in China due to a huge population movement during the New Year Festival. Here, a 7‐year‐old child with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in Chongqing, outside of Wuhan, Hubei province, was reported. This case suggested that children infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 are more likely to present milder manifestations than adults. The continuous positive real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction assay for SARS‐CoV‐2 in the child's throat swab sample indicated the isolation period for suspected child cases should be longer than 14 days.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the correlation between selenium intake and lung function in asthmatic people.Methods: A total of 4,541 individuals in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included in this study. Multivariate linear regression, variance inflation factor, restricted cubic splines and quantile regression were used to analyze the relationship between Se intake and lung function. We divided selenium intake into four levels based on quartiles: Q1: Se ≤ 76.75 mcg/d; Q2: 76.75–105.1 mcg/d; Q3: 105.1–137.65 mcg/d; and Q4: Se ≥137.65 mcg/d.Results: Asthma was negatively associated with the Ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume 1st Second to Forced Vital Capacity (FEV1/FVC) (β = −0.04, 95% CI: −0.06 to −0.02) and FEV1 (β = −215, 95% CI: −340 to −90). Se intake was positively associated with Forced Expiratory Volume 1st Second (FEV1) (β =3.30 95% CI: 2.60 to 4.00) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) (β =4.30, 95% CI: 3.50 to 5.10). In asthmatic individuals, the positive effects of Se intake on FVC were enhanced with increasing Se intake, while the positive effects of Se intake on FEV1 varied less dramatically. High Se intake (Q4 level, above 137.65 mcg/d) improved FVC (β = 353, 95% CI: 80 to 626) and FEV1 (β = 543, 95% CI: 118 to 969) in asthmatic patients compared to low Se intake (Q1 level, below 76.75 mcg/d). At the Q2 level (76.75–105.1 mcg/d) and Q4 level (Se ≥137.65 mcg/d) of Se intake, the correlation between FEV1 and asthma disappeared.Conclusion: Our research has revealed a positive correlation between selenium intake and lung function in asthma patients and the strength of this positive correlation is related to the amount of selenium intake. We recommend that asthma patients consume 137.65 mcg to 200 mcg of selenium daily to improve pulmonary function while avoiding the adverse effects of selenium on the human body.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the daily dietary intake of riboflavin (DDIR) and impaired lung function associated with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) exposure. Data of 4631 adults in this national cross-sectional survey were included. Urinary mono-benzyl phthalate (MBP) was used to evaluate the level of DBP exposure. The ln-transformed urinary creatinine-corrected MBP (ln(MBP/UCr)) level was used in the statistical models. High DDIR was defined as the DDIR ≥1.8 mg per day. The results of lung function impairment and high monocytes were significantly higher in the highest MBP group compared with the lowest MBP group. A significant interaction between ln(MBP/UCr) and DDIR (P_interaction = 0.029) was detected for the risk of lung function impairment. The risk of lung function impairment (OR_{quartiles4 vs. 1} 1.85, 95% CI, 1.27–2.71; P_trend = 0.018) and high neutrophils (OR_{quartiles4 vs. 1} 1.45, 95% CI, 1.06–1.97; P_trend = 0.018) was significantly higher in the highest vs. the lowest quartile of MBP in participants with low/normal DDIR but not in in participants with high DDIR. The results of this study showed that high DDIR was associated with less lung function impairment related with DBP exposure, and the inhibiting of the neutrophil recruitment might be the potential mechanism.