Asthma attacks in more than 1m people linked to UK cost of living rationing

An Asthma + Lung UK survey found 90% of people with lung conditions had made changes such as eating less or reducing inhaler use to cope with rising costs. Photograph: PixelsEffect/Getty Images

More than a million people in the UK have experienced life-threatening asthma attacks after cutting back on medicine, heating or food amid the soaring cost of living crisis, a survey suggests.

One in five (20%) people living with asthma in the UK – of which there are 5.4 million – have had an attack as a result of changes they have been forced to make due to rising energy, food and household bills, according to the research by Asthma + Lung UK. Fuel poverty campaigners described the figures as “distressing”.