Do You Live In An Asthma Capital?

Each year the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America creates a top 10 list as a subset of their analysis of the 100 most difficult places to live for Asthma sufferers.  While the list may be good for grabbing headlines I found it difficult to discern from the data they provide how one city can truly be defined as worse (or better) than others on the list.  I was surprised that smog-bound Los Angeles was not on the list, or any city in the Northeast where pollen falls as thick as snow this time of year. I was also a bit sceptical about the study when I noted that the study was made possible by a "charitable" contribution from Astra Zenica, maker of Symbicort for treatment of Asthma.

Here are the top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2009:

1.   St. Louis, MO
2.   Milwaukee, WI
3.   Birmingham, AL
4.   Chattanooga, TN
5.   Charlotte, NC
6.   Memphis, TN
7.   Knoxville, TN
8.   McAllen, TX
9.   Atlanta, GA
10. Little Rock, AR

For a closer look at how these rankings were developed go here.

St. Louis moved from ranking  in ninth place last year to top of the list this year. According to the study this just was caused by  a number of factors including a higher than average pollen score, continued poor air quality, a lack of “100% smoke-free” laws and others.