TY - JOUR T1 - Health and socioeconomic impact of work-related asthma JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 689 LP - 697 DO - 10.1183/09031936.03.00053203 VL - 22 IS - 4 AU - O. Vandenplas AU - K. Toren AU - P.D. Blanc Y1 - 2003/10/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/22/4/689.abstract N2 - There is accumulating evidence that the workplace environment contributes significantly to the general burden of asthma. The purpose of this review is to explore the respiratory health and socioeconomic consequences of work-related asthma by addressing a series of controversial issues: 1) what is the natural history of occupational asthma and in what ways does ongoing exposure to the causal agent impact clinical outcomes?; 2) how does the natural history of irritant-induced asthma differ in its health outcomes from immunologically-mediated occupational asthma?; 3) do working conditions have a significant impact on asthma regardless of the aetiology of the disease?; 4) what is the scope of work disability from work-related-asthma in social and economic terms?; 5) what is the clinician's role in reducing the respiratory health consequences of work-related asthma? 6) to what extent do existing compensation and other social insurance schemes successfully address occupational asthma and work-aggravated asthma? O. Vandenplas is supported by the Services Fédéraux des Affaires Scientifiques, Techniques et Culturelles (grant SSTC PS/10/44). ER -