Natural history of chronic asthma and its long-term effects on pulmonary function

Although asthma is a disease that has intrigued physicians since antiquity, its natural history has been incompletely determined. It has long been hel d that the presence of asthma, per se, does not carry with it any long-term deterioration in lung function, but recently this view has been challenged , and it has become fashionable to define asthma as being only partially re versible, At present, there are limited data to support such a view. All of the available information indicates that the vast majority of patients do not experience the development of a progressive decline in pulmonary mechan ics or appear to be at risk for a diminution in life expectancy.