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.

E-cigarette smoking has more deleterious short-term effects on pulmonary function in asthmatic smokers

E-cigarette smoking is increasingly promoted as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking, but a growing body of evidence points to its potential dangers. Adding to the evidence, researchers will report at CHEST World Congress this month on a study of e-cigarettes and the immediate effects on pulmonary function in healthy and mild asthmatic young smokers.

12 Apr 2016

$Bronchial thermoplasty improves quality of life for severe refractory asthmatics$

Bronchial thermoplasty improves quality of life for severe refractory asthmatics

Among people with asthma, lower socioeconomic status, education level, and ethnic minority status clearly have undesirable effects on their care and outcomes. Patients with severe disease who attend county (public) hospitals in the United States tend to have less access to resources, which, in addition to environmental and compliance issues, may contribute to poorer disease control.

12 Apr 2016

Cigarette smoking, viral infections may reduce effectiveness of COPD symptom-reliever medication

New study backs up observations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients showing reduced effectiveness of symptom-reliever medication (β2-adrenoceptor agonists) in flare-ups linked to cigarette smoking and infection with viruses such as influenza.

11 Apr 2016

Vanderbilt's A.S.A.P sees increase in number of patients treated for alpha-gal syndrome

Vanderbilt's Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program (A.S.A.P) has seen an increase in the number of patients being treated for alpha-gal syndrome, commonly known as the red meat allergy linked to tick bites.

7 Apr 2016

Unhealthy BMIs, smoking, drinking alcohol and solid fuel use increase asthma risk in women

Underweight and obese women who also drank alcohol and smoked tobacco had a two-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with asthma than women with a healthy body mass index who did not drink or smoke, a St. Michael's Hospital study found.

7 Apr 2016

Children of salmon-eating mothers less likely to develop asthma

Children born to mothers who eat salmon when pregnant may be less likely to have doctor diagnosed asthma compared to children whose mothers do not eat it, new research has shown.

6 Apr 2016

Explaining asthma to children: an interview with Gabe Ortiz MPAS, PA-C

I think the main challenges in explaining asthma to children, is to make them understand that in most instances it may be a chronic condition that might need chronic daily medicine.

5 Apr 2016

New research links polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity to asthma in reproductive-age women

Among reproductive-age women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as overweight and obesity are independently linked with asthma, new preliminary research from Australia suggests. The results will be presented in a poster Saturday, April 2, at ENDO 2016, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in Boston.

4 Apr 2016

Mom needs to get more vitamin D during second trimester to reduce child's asthma risk

The best way to reduce a child's chances of developing asthma might be making sure Mom had enough vitamin D during the second trimester, a new study from the University of Kansas shows.

31 Mar 2016

UC Berkeley biologists discover potential target for unisex contraceptives

UC Berkeley biologists have discovered the switch that triggers the power kick sperm use to penetrate and fertilize a human egg, uncovering a possible source of male infertility but also a potential target for contraceptives that work in both men and women.

26 Mar 2016

Air pollution can lead to premature death

People who live where there are high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of dying prematurely. Air pollution levels in Gothenburg have, however, decreased by half in the past few decades.

25 Mar 2016

New project aims to prevent complications from drug usage

If a patient is ill and takes drugs for that illness, these drugs often lead to further illnesses and complications. This affects millions of people throughout the world.

24 Mar 2016

Physical and mental well-being tied closely to one another

In a study of more than 8,000 adults, those with a chronic health condition such as diabetes or asthma were more likely to report psychological distress and functional impairment if they were residents of poor or middle-income households.

23 Mar 2016

Cinqair (reslizumab) approved for treatment of severe asthma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cinqair (reslizumab) for use with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma in patients aged 18 years and older. Cinqair is approved for patients who have a history of severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) despite receiving their current asthma medicines.

23 Mar 2016

Southampton researchers link birth season epigenetic DNA marks to allergic disease

Researchers at the University of Southampton have discovered specific markers on DNA that link the season of birth to risk of allergy in later life.

22 Mar 2016

WAO to address effects of climate change on pollen allergy season during World Allergy Week 2016

Warmer weather brings joy to most people but misery for hay fever (pollen allergy) sufferers. For 50 million people in the United States alone, spring means sneezing spasms, itchy and watery eyes, and congestion at an annual cost of 18 billion.

21 Mar 2016

Teach-to-goal inhaler education improves mastery of life-saving technique

A rescue inhaler can be a lifesaver during an asthma or COPD flareup, but using a rescue inhaler is complicated and misuse is common, putting patients' lives at risk. An education strategy, called teach-to-goal, may help patients use their inhalers properly during these critical times, according to research published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

21 Mar 2016

Study: Prenatal exposure to PAH leads to mental health problems in children

Exposure to common air pollutants during pregnancy may predispose children to problems regulating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors later on, according to a new study led by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health within Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and New York State Psychiatric Institute.

17 Mar 2016

PneumaCare receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Thora-3DI imaging device

PneumaCare Ltd (Cambridge, UK) announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for its Thora-3DI imaging device.