Abstract
The authors define the 'asthma risk' and its difference from 'allergy risk' based upon the present knowledge on bronchial asthma induction; later they discuss the pathogenic mechanism and the main causal factors of allergic and non-allergic bronchial asthma. Results of epidemiological studies are then presented. A case-control study shows the relative risk (RR) of bronchial asthma in different occupations; the RR is highest in furniture painting workers and in the wood industry. A cross-sectional study shows the prevalence of bronchial asthma in populations working in chemical, textile, mechanical engineering and wood industries
