Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

Mepolizumab has no hint of added benefit in eosinophilic asthma

The monoclonal antibody mepolizumab has been approved since the end of 2015 for the treatment of adults with severe refractory eosinophilic asthma. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care now examined in an early benefit assessment whether the drug offers an added benefit for patients in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy.

3 May 2016

Researchers develop SpiroCall that can accurately measure lung function over simple phone call

Most people in the developing world who have asthma, cystic fibrosis or other chronic lung diseases have no way to measure how well their lungs are functioning outside of a clinic or doctor visit.

3 May 2016

Advances in telemedicine: an interview with Dr Ameet Bakhai

Telemedicine is the art of improving patient care via managing data remotely, and in this spirit one of the earliest examples often not considered in this category, would be the permanent pacemaker, first implanted into a human being in 1958.

2 May 2016

Extreme weather events may lead to more asthma hospitalization

Extreme heat and heavy rainfall are related to increased risk of hospitalization for asthma in Maryland, according to a study by University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers.

29 Apr 2016

Maternal exposure to air pollution increases risk of long-term health problems in children

Even small amounts of air pollution appear to raise the risk of a condition in pregnant women linked to premature births and lifelong neurological and respiratory disorders in their children, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

28 Apr 2016

One-dose of dexamethasone can improve outcomes of asthmatic patients in ER

Adults with asthma who were treated with one-dose dexamethasone in the emergency department had only slightly higher relapse than patients who were treated with a 5-day course of prednisone.

28 Apr 2016

Yoga exercise may reduce impact of asthma on people's quality of life

A new Cochrane Review, published in the Cochrane Library today, suggests that yoga may have a beneficial effect on symptoms and quality of life in people with asthma, but effects on lung function and medication use are uncertain.

27 Apr 2016

HDM SLIT tablet can reduce risk of moderate or severe asthma exacerbation

The addition of a house dust mite (HDM) sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) tablet to maintenance medications improved time to first moderate or severe asthma exacerbation during a period of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) reduction among adults with HDM allergy-related asthma not well controlled by ICS, according to a study appearing in the April 26 issue of JAMA.

27 Apr 2016

Five simple steps could reduce future life-threatening asthma attacks and hospital admissions

A national care check list (or ‘care bundle’) is launched today for NHS hospitals discharging asthma patients who have recently received treatment for an acute asthma attack.

26 Apr 2016

Researchers observe worrisome increase in anaphylaxis rate

Anaphylaxis, known to be a sudden and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, seems to be increasing among children, according to a new study led by a team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

22 Apr 2016

Blocking IL-1 signalling molecule could alleviate asthma symptoms

Scientists have made a discovery that could lead to improved treatment for asthma sufferers.They have found that blocking a certain signalling molecule can alleviate symptoms such as mucus production, swelling (edema), and constriction of the airways in the lungs.

21 Apr 2016

Non-invasive test to diagnose EoE could replace need for repeated endoscopy

A non-invasive test to diagnose and monitor an inflammatory disease that injures the esophagus - called eosinophilic esophagitis or EoE - would replace the need for repeated endoscopy for a growing number of children and adults with this relatively new condition.

21 Apr 2016

Study evaluates influence of midwife-led antenatal care on VBAC rates

Women who had a caesarean section in a previous pregnancy are much more likely to have a safer vaginal birth if their antenatal care is led by a midwife, according to a new study from The University of Manchester.

20 Apr 2016

NObreath®: the essential tool for World Asthma Day

Asthma UK found 120,000 asthma sufferers at risk from wrongly prescribed medication, while NICE found 30% of people with asthma suspected to be misdiagnosed.

From Bedfont® Scientific Ltd 20 Apr 2016

Researchers identify biological pathway that explains why current asthma therapies fail in many cases

Asthma is an enormous public health problem that continues to grow larger, in part because scientists don't fully understand how it is caused. Existing therapies don't cure the disease and often don't even significantly alleviate the symptoms. Now, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University have identified a biological pathway that potentially explains why current asthma therapies don't work well in many cases—and might be targeted to help those patients.

19 Apr 2016

More than half of U.S. adults believe today's kids have diminished emotional and mental health

More than half of adults believe children today are more stressed, experience less quality family time and have worse mental and emotional health than children in past generations, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

18 Apr 2016

MGH-led study confirms safety of allergy immunotherapy

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has found no evidence of infections related to administration of allergy immunotherapy, the common practice of injecting minimal quantities of allergens beneath the skin to reduce the allergic response.

18 Apr 2016

MicroRNAs circulating in blood could lead to first diagnostic test for asthma

People with asthma have telltale molecules circulating in their blood, say researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. The discovery could lead to the first diagnostic blood test for asthma, as well as more targeted treatments for the condition.

16 Apr 2016

Study finds link between low pollution levels and stronger lungs in California kids

A USC study that tracked Southern California children over a 20-year period has found they now have significantly fewer respiratory symptoms as a result of improved air quality.

13 Apr 2016

Air pollution reduction linked to decrease in bronchitic symptoms in children

Decreases in ambient air pollution levels over the past 20 years in Southern California were associated with significant reductions in bronchitic symptoms in children with and without asthma, according to a study appearing in the April 12 issue of JAMA.

13 Apr 2016