The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has found that more than 1 million people in Britain who are receiving treatment for asthma may have been wrongly diagnosed.

Professor Mark Baker, director of clinical practice at NICE, said, "Accurate diagnosis of asthma has been a significant problem which means that people may be wrongly diagnosed or cases might be missed in others. Our aim with this guideline is to give clarity and set out the most clinical and cost-effective ways to diagnose and monitor asthma based on the best available evidence."
The new guidelines were welcomed by the charity Asthma UK. Kay Boycott, chief executive at Asthma UK, said, "Asthma has many complex causes which is one of the reasons why it is sometimes difficult to get a definitive diagnosis. It is also a highly variable condition that can change throughout someone's life or even week by week, meaning treatment can change over time. For anyone with an asthma diagnosis, it is vital they have the right medication and a plan to better manage their condition and any asthma attacks."
Source-Medindia