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.

In mice, drug protects against diabetes and atherosclerosis

Blocking a single protein with an experimental drug prevented and treated both type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis in laboratory mice that had been fed unhealthy diets and were genetically predisposed to these common killers, according to an article published online in Nature.

8 Jun 2007

Infant swimming lessons may not be such a good idea

Belgian researchers are suggesting that the chlorine in swimming pools may have an adverse effect on children's lungs.

5 Jun 2007

Young adults with a short temper may have unhealthy lungs

Young adults with a short temper or mean disposition also tend to have compromised lung function, says a recent study published in the journal Health Psychology, by the American Psychological Association (APA).

5 Jun 2007

Exposure to flu vaccine kick-starts fetal immune system in pregnant mothers

Some researchers have hypothesized that the fetus can be exposed to and mount an immune response against allergens to which the mother has been exposed, and this may have an effect on the development of allergic sensitivity (e.g. eczema and asthma) later in an infant's life.

3 Jun 2007

How well do you know your child's pediatrician?

How well do you know your child's pediatrician? Is he or she board certified in pediatrics, or has he or she ever completed specialty training in the field?

1 Jun 2007

Diagnosis of aspirin hypersensitivity

A position paper on the diagnosis of aspirin hypersensitivity by a team of European scientists from the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN) has just been published on the Allergy Journal website.

1 Jun 2007

Uncontrolled asthma is highly prevalent

A survey of 1,812 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma revealed that the disease was not controlled in 55 percent, despite the fact that most had health insurance and visited their health care providers regularly.

1 Jun 2007

Tobacco industry cops it from the WHO

The tobacco industry has been severely criticised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for misleading the public on the dangers of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.

31 May 2007

Better guidelines on the use of mobile phones in the provision of clinical care urgently needed

Healthcare systems are increasing looking to developments in mobile communication technology to help improve the provision of care to people with long-term conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

30 May 2007

WHO calls for indoor public places and workplaces 100% smoke-free

The World Health Organization (WHO) signalled the urgent need for countries to make all indoor public places and workplaces 100% smoke-free with the release of its new policy recommendations on protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in advance of World No Tobacco Day (31 May), which focuses this year on this theme.

30 May 2007

FDA completes review of FluMist

MedImmune, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated the agency has completed its review of all submissions made related to the supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) to extend the age indication of FluMist (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal).

28 May 2007

Obese people more likely to have persistent or severe persistent asthma

A new study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference finds that obese people are significantly more likely to have persistent or severe persistent asthma than their thinner counterparts.

24 May 2007

Some children are genetically less responsive to inhaled steroids for asthma

Some children may not be able to keep their asthma under control even if they consistently report using inhaled corticosteroids, a mainstay of asthma treatment, suggests a new study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Wednesday, May 23.

24 May 2007

SYMBICORT trial shows improved quality of life with asthma

New data demonstrated that the combination asthma therapy, SYMBICORT (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate), led to significant improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQL) and greater patient-reported satisfaction with asthma treatment, versus its monocomponents (budesonide or formoterol) or placebo.

24 May 2007