D3.149 - Nationwide Trends in Asthma-Related Mortality in Türkiye: Impact of the Sex-Specific Differences (2018–2024)

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease and remains a preventable cause of mortality worldwide despite advances in pharmacological treatment and disease management strategies. Evaluation of national asthma-related mortality trends is essential for monitoring disease burden, assessing healthcare system performance, and identifying vulnerable populations. In Türkiye, cause-of-death statistics based on ICD-10 coding provide an opportunity for population-level surveillance of asthma mortality.We aimed to analyze temporal trends and sex-specific patterns in asthma-related mortality in Türkiye between 2018 and 2024.

This population-based, retrospective descriptive study used national mortality data obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT). Asthma-related deaths were identified using ICD-10 codes J45 (Asthma) and J46 (Status asthmaticus). Annual total and sex-specific mortality counts were extracted for each year from 2018 to 2024. Temporal trends were evaluated by year-to-year comparisons, and percentage changes across the study period were calculated.

A total of 1,592 asthma-related deaths were recorded in 2018, decreasing slightly to 1,482 deaths in 2019. Mortality increased to 2,114 deaths in 2020, representing the highest value during the study period. Thereafter, asthma-related mortality declined steadily to 1,702 deaths in 2021, 1,465 in 2022, 1,415 in 2023, and 1,319 in 2024. Overall, asthma-related mortality decreased by approximately 17% between 2018 and 2024. Across all years, female mortality consistently exceeded male mortality, with women accounting for approximately 65–70% of asthma-related deaths.

Asthma-related mortality in Türkiye showed notable temporal variation between 2018 and 2024, followed by a sustained decline in recent years. The increase in 2020 and 2021 appeared to be related to COVID-19. Despite overall improvement, asthma-related deaths remain a preventable public health burden, with a persistent predominance among females. These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance and the implementation of sex-sensitive asthma management strategies to further reduce preventable mortality.