The results of the Scottish Confidential Inquiry into Asthma Deaths have been welcomed by an asthma campaign group, which says that further reductions in death and disability are possible.

The figures, which cover the period between 1994 and 1996, and published in the journal Thorax, show that deaths have fallen by 50% since 1979.

In 1979, 2.51 people in every 100,000 died from asthma, while by the 1994-96 period the figure had dropped to 1.26.

The research team found that the correct routine treatment had been given in 59% of the cases, and the right emergency care for the final attack in more than 70%.

However, the main factors in the deaths appeared to be poor compliance with medication, and patients not measuring their "peak flow", or the speed with which they could push air out of their lungs.

The latter is a key indicator of how bad a patient's asthma really is.

Depression a key factor

Psychosocial problems, such as depression, were also a significant factor in asthma deaths.

The report's authors suggest that tighter monitoring of whether people are taking their medicine could prevent even more deaths.

And they recommend that patients are given more involvement in planning their care, and given more advice on when to seek medical help.

Marjory O'Donnell, director of the National Asthma Campaign in Scotland, said: "The fact that deaths in Scotland from asthma are decreasing is a positive sign.

"The number of people who died from asthma attacks is small compared with the estimated 310,000 people with asthma in Scotland but it is of serious concern that anyone still died from what is for most people a maneagable disease."

The campaign has released details of its own "asthma audit" in Scotland, which revealed that deaths are continuing to fall in recent years.