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.

Growing up in polluted towns and cities increases risk of lung health issues

Children who grow up in towns and cities with high pollution levels are at increased risk of lung health issues or low functioning lungs. New research suggests that pollutants from vehicle emissions and fossil fuels have an adverse effect on a child's lung development and can also lower childrens lifetime breathing capacity.

8 Sep 2004

Studies of human genetic variation have found strong evidence for the action of natural selection

One of the most comprehensive studies of the forces that have shaped patterns of human genetic variation has found strong evidence for the action of natural selection, which may help explain why certain people are at risk for a variety of conditions and others are not.

8 Sep 2004

Study aims for long term impact to help inner-city children with asthma

A study designed to reduce the levels of indoor allergens – conducted in the homes of inner-city children with asthma – resulted in fewer asthma exacerbations and unscheduled visits for asthma during a two-year period, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researcher who participated in the multicenter study.

8 Sep 2004

Scientist rewarded for breaking down transplant rejection

A scientist from Australia's Monash University who has recently determined the structure of drug that is widely used as an immunosuppressant, will be presented the 2004 Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

8 Sep 2004

Phase I clinical trial of new drug for severe asthma

Cambridge Antibody Technology today announced that it is starting a Phase I clinical trial of CAT-354, a human anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody, which is a potential treatment for severe asthma, following recent approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

8 Sep 2004

Air conditioning coil reduces over all sickness by 20%

Air conditioning coil reduces over all sickness by 20%, reduces respiratory symptoms by 40% and has resulted in a 99% reduction of microbial and endotoxin concentrations on irradiated surfaces within the ventilation system.

5 Sep 2004

New ways of looking at treatment for lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis

A research team at Yale University has found that blocking a kind of cell death called apoptosis in fibrotic diseases of the lung, also blocks the fibrosis, opening new ways of looking at treatment for lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis.

2 Sep 2004

U.S $10 million to build virtual lung

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will lead a $10 million, five-year multi-institutional National Institutes of Health study to devise 3-D imaging and computational models of unsurpassed detail of respiratory systems in humans and other mammals, PNNL announced today.

30 Aug 2004

Environmental factors and diet may explain the higher rates of asthma seen in developed countries

The study involved 10,902 primary school children from three cities in China at different stages of modernisation (Hong Kong, Beijing and Guangzhou). Parents were asked about asthmatic symptoms and exposure to environmental factors.

26 Aug 2004

Asthma stable, allergies rising in British children

The rate of asthma among children in the United Kingdom seems to have stabilised, but the tendency for children to develop allergies is still increasing, according to a study in this week's BMJ.

26 Aug 2004

FDA approves revised labeling for anti-inflammatory corticosteroid nasal spray

AstraZeneca has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved revised labeling for its anti-inflammatory corticosteroid nasal spray RHINOCORT AQUA® (budesonide).

26 Aug 2004

Are nicotine patches safe for pregnant women?

A £1 million study, being led by a team of multidisciplinary researchers at The University of Nottingham, is to look at whether nicotine replacement skin patches could help pregnant mums to stop smoking.

26 Aug 2004

Household heaters linked to asthma

Exposure to fume emitting heaters during the first year of life is associated with an increased risk of asthma later in childhood, a study of school children in Belmont, NSW has found.

26 Aug 2004

BMA Scotland launches public consultation on smoking in public places

BMA Scotland is today launching a campaign to encourage members of the public to have their say in the Scottish Executive's consultation on smoking in public places.

26 Aug 2004

Scientists have discovered a protein that could be the key to finding a cure for asthma

Scientists at the University's Department of Pharmacology and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research have discovered a protein produced in human lung cells that could be the key to finding a cure for asthma.

25 Aug 2004

Air researchers measure diesel fumes to search for link to health problems

Now, researchers at Clarkson University are looking at a population located near a major international trucking route to determine whether high levels of diesel emissions released in the air may be linked to increased rates of respiratory illnesses in an adjacent community.

25 Aug 2004

Cleaning products and solvents increase risk of asthma

Exposure to the fumes emitted from solvents and cleaning products at home may increase the risk of childhood asthma, suggests a study by Australian researchers from Curtin University and the University of Sydney.

25 Aug 2004

Researchers have discovered that many people with Bardet-Biedl syndrome can't detect odors

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that many people with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a rare, complex condition marked by an array of seemingly unconnected symptoms, including obesity, learning difficulties, eye problems and asthma, also have another, previously unreported problem

23 Aug 2004

Rooms where people smoke contain higher air concentrations of endotoxins

A room where people smoke contains dozens or hundreds of times higher air concentrations of endotoxins than smoke-free indoor air. This has been shown by a research team from Lund University.

23 Aug 2004