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.

Bronchiolitis, air pollution have ‘synergistic effect’ on asthma risk

Results from a Korean study show that a history of bronchiolitis plus exposure to increased levels of air pollution “synergistically” increases a child’s risk for asthma.

11 Feb 2013

Majority of Americans not aware of detrimental effects of obesity

A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that few Americans realize the many ways obesity can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea and other less common conditions.

11 Feb 2013

Amlexanox also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice

Researchers at the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute have found that amlexanox, an off-patent drug currently prescribed for the treatment of asthma and other uses, also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice.

11 Feb 2013

Virginia Tech researchers reveal how 'bad' gut bacteria may help control diabetes

A stomach bacterium believed to cause health problems such as gastritis, ulcers, and gastric cancer may play a dual role by balancing the stomach's ecosystem and controlling body weight and glucose tolerance, according to immunologists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute of Virginia Tech.

10 Feb 2013

Microbial composition of induced sputum altered in mild asthma

The microbial composition of sputum in patients with mild asthma differs from that in individuals without the condition, results from a US study show.

8 Feb 2013

AmeriCares rushes to deliver 8,000 more doses of influenza vaccine to free clinics

AmeriCares is rushing to deliver 8,000 more doses of influenza vaccine to free clinics and community health programs to stem the continuing flu epidemic. Widespread flu activity was reported last week in 42 states with seniors at the greatest risk, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the number of flu cases is starting to decline along the East Coast, cases continue to increase in the West.

6 Feb 2013

Empowered patients cost health systems less

Patients who feel confident and engaged in decisions about their health and taking care of themselves incur lower healthcare costs as a result of their improved outcomes, suggests a study in Health Affairs.

6 Feb 2013

Technology helps doctor unlock clues about illness's environmental causes

Epidemiologist David Van Sickle spent years studying asthma, but like many researchers of the chronic disease, he was frustrated by the obstacles to determining precise triggers of an individual attack. That frustration gave him an idea for a rescue inhaler topped with a GPS sensor.

6 Feb 2013

GSTM gene mutation, air pollution can increase risk of asthma-related cockroach allergy

An allergic reaction to cockroaches is a major contributor to asthma in urban children, but new research suggests that the insects are just one part of a more complex story. Very early exposure to certain components of air pollution can increase the risk of developing a cockroach allergy by age 7 and children with a common mutation in a gene called GSTM may be especially vulnerable.

6 Feb 2013

Three NIH-sponsored influenza trials begin to enroll volunteers

Three clinical trials that seek to find more effective treatments for influenza are enrolling volunteers with influenza at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., and at several dozen other domestic and international sites.

6 Feb 2013

Latitude and UV-B exposure influence allergy and asthma risk

Individuals living closer to the equator are at an increased risk for hay fever, food allergy, and skin sensitization to house dust mites and molds, research shows.

4 Feb 2013

Asthma attack risk increases after stopping low-dose corticosteroids

Patients with stable asthma who stop using low-dose inhaled corticosteroids are at a significantly increased risk for exacerbations over the following 6 months, show results from a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies.

4 Feb 2013

Sneezing and wheezing are common among people living close to the equator

Those living near the equator may find themselves sneezing and wheezing more than usual. And the reason may not be due to increasing pollen counts.

4 Feb 2013

Innate lymphoid cells may be new therapeutic target in treating atopic dermatitis

The increasing incidence of allergic skin diseases, and the accompanying economic burden and heightened risk of developing other allergic conditions, have spurred researchers to look for better ways to control these immune system-based disorders.

1 Feb 2013

Merck full-year 2012 worldwide sales decrease 2% to $47.3 billion

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2012.

1 Feb 2013

Guidelines to help people with allergies during bad weather

As this winter continue to take many parts of the country on a temperature roller coaster ride—from seasonal bone-chilling cold to springlike warmth and then back again—many people find themselves reaching for pain relievers or other remedies to deal with runny noses and other symptoms associated with sinus and allergy problems.

31 Jan 2013

Foresee, ScinoPharm to form joint venture for new oncological Leuprolide injectable drug

ScinoPharm and Foresee Pharmaceuticals, Inc. jointly announced today that an investment agreement to form a joint venture has been signed. This venture looks to develop a series of peptide injectable drugs with the first being a new oncological Leuprolide injectable drug product, where Leuprolide will be formulated in a proprietary controlled-release drug delivery system originally developed by Foresee and transferred to the joint venture.

30 Jan 2013