The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has released the list of the 100 worst cities to live in if you have asthma. This year, St. Louis, MO, has been named the top "Asthma Capital", up from being 9th last year.

The Asthma Capitals is an annual research project to call attention to the asthma epidemic and to advocate for changes in each city to improve the quality of life for people with asthma. Rankings are based on analysis of 12 factors in three groups:

* Prevalence Factors - morbidity and mortality statistics
* Risk Factors - air quality, pollen, "100% smoke-free" laws, poverty and more
* Medical Factors - medication usage and access to specialists

Here are the top 10 asthma capitals:

1. St. Louis, MO
2. Milwaukee, WI
3. Birmingham, AL
4. Chattanooga, TN
5. Charlotte, NC
6. Memphis, TN
7. Knoxville, TN
8. McAllen, TX
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Little Rock, AR

For a complete listing, you can download a copy of the Top 100 Asthma Capitals for 2009. Of course, it's not easy to relocate to another city, which may just have its own sleuth of risk factors anyway. If you live in one of the cities identified above, work instead with an asthma specialist for a good strategy to manage your asthma symptoms.