Severe Swine Flu ( H1N1 ) cases and asthma are linked

When swine flu emerged last spring, disease trackers warned that children and adults with underlying medical conditions would be especially susceptible to the ravages of the virus.

Now, a review of disease surveillance records by Massachusetts health authorities has found that one chronic condition is far more common than any other among patients hospitalized with H1N1 infections: asthma.

The persistent respiratory ailment, which has become strikingly more prevalent in recent decades, was present in 31 percent of swine flu patients who entered Massachusetts hospitals already suffering from longstanding health problems. By comparison, 6 percent of those swine flu patients had heart problems, and 6 percent had kidney disease.

The finding provides fresh evidence of the toll influenza exacts on people whose ability to breathe is already compromised. And it led specialists this week to reinforce their admonition that patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other respiratory conditions should be vaccinated against H1N1 as well as the seasonal strain.