How one million asthma sufferers in the UK may not actually have the condition

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence has warned that around one third of diagnosed adults may be taking unnecessary medications.

16:45 28 January 2015

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice) has warned that up to one third of people who were diagnosed with asthma may not really have the condition and could be taking unnecessary medications.

It added that more than one million “asthma sufferers” show no clinical signs of the chronic lung problem.

For this reason, the watchdog has drafted new guidelines for doctors, which could become the new standard by summer. It orders doctors to use more clinical tests to confirm the condition.

Prof Mark Baker, director of clinical practice at NICE, told the BBC: "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 state: “Diagnosis is principally based on a thorough history taken by an experienced clinician.

“It is therefore not surprising that studies of adults diagnosed with asthma suggest that up to 30 per cent do not have clear evidence of asthma.”