Asthma | Common: 339 million worldwide [10] Childhood asthma more common in males; adult asthma more common in females [11] | Usually diagnosed in childhood but can affect any age [12] | Estimated mortality rate of 0.19 deaths per 100 000; higher in low to middle income countries [13] | Some studies suggest a link between asthma and infertility. In pregnancy, asthma may improve or worsen – worsening is more common in severe asthmatics [3] |
Cystic fibrosis | Rare: 1 in 2500–3000 live births – around 85 000 worldwide [14]. Most common in Caucasians, least common in Asians [15] | 75% diagnosed by the age of 2 in Western societies [16]. Many countries have newborn screening | Average life expectancy 35–40 years in USA and UK; lower in developing countries [17] | Some impact on fertility; pregnancy carries risks of health complications for mother and child and increased treatment burden [3] |
LAM | Very rare: estimates between 3 and 5 cases per million [18]. Almost exclusively affects women [19] | Average age of diagnosis is approximately 35 [20] | Estimated median transplant-free survival time for LAM patients in the US is 29 years from symptom onset and 23 years from diagnosis [21] | No reported impact on fertility; LAM may be accelerated by oestrogen so may develop or worsen in pregnancy and lead to health complications for the mother [5] |
Sarcoidosis | Rare: estimates between 20 and 400 per million depending on country [22] | 75% in UK diagnosed between ages 30 and 60 [23]; average age of diagnosis in USA is 55 [24] | Usually normal; 60% will go into remission, 10% will develop serious disease that may shorten life expectancy [25] | Usually no impact [7] |