Advances in pediatric and adult asthma

Last year's review on adult and pediatric asthma highlighted reports related to asthma genetics, the importance of upper airway management, the costs of asthma, and the importance of early recognition and intervention. This year we will organize our discussion to review recent reports related to the origins and persistence of asthma in both adults and children. We highlight Journal publications from 2004, along with recent key publications from other medical journals, to provide a perspective on the rapidly developing areas of genetics, including pharmacogenetics, respiratory infection, biomarker measurements, and asthma pharmacotherapy. This new understanding of the pathogenesis of asthma combined with clinical applications of genetics and biomarkers should lead to new management strategies. Asthma management is likely to change in the coming years from a strategy directed to the best outcome in groups of patients to an individualized approach to assessment and management.