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.

Mediterranean diet protects against allergic rhinitis and asthma

A "Mediterranean" diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts protects against allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms, suggests research published ahead of print in Thorax.

5 Apr 2007

Hypnotism as a potential component of care

Hypnotism has expanded its realm from magic shows to health care.

5 Apr 2007

Children with autism are less likely to receive the type of primary medical care that we hope for all children

Children with autism do not receive the same quality of primary care as children with other special health care needs, according to research from the University of Minnesota Medical School.

4 Apr 2007

TGF-beta found to be a major player in causing bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, in collaboration with scientists from the Genzyme Corporation, have identified a potential treatment for a chronic lung disease affecting premature infants.

4 Apr 2007

For overweight and obese individuals, the incidence of asthma increases by 50 percent

Asthma, a respiratory disease characterized by recurrent episodes of difficult breathing, wheezing, cough and thick mucus production, affected approximately 20.5 million Americans in 2004. Some common asthma triggers are allergic stimuli, infections, stress or strenuous exercise.

4 Apr 2007

Children who get frequent infections may have immunodeficiency

Children who get frequent infections, such as ear infections, sinusitis or pneumonia, may have a more severe condition called immunodeficiency, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

3 Apr 2007

Dingell introduces bill that would expand dental coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid, SCHIP

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) last week introduced a bill (HR 1781) that would help improve the delivery of dental services to low-income children enrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP, CQ HealthBeat reports.

3 Apr 2007

Common asthma inhaler powered by a new propellant is safe and effective

Conducted by two university professors and a director for the Food and Drug Administration, the review examines the consequences of switching to hydrofluoroalkane, which is replacing chlorofluorocarbon, or CFC, as a key ingredient in albuterol inhalers designed to relieve asthma. The FDA has ruled that U.S. sales of CFC albuterol inhalers be prohibited after 2008.

31 Mar 2007

Bronchial thermoplasty study

A new report published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) shows that patients treated with bronchial thermoplasty, the first non-drug treatment for asthma, demonstrated an overall improvement in asthma control.

30 Mar 2007

London asthma sufferers get space-based help

The city of London has launched an innovative service, funded by ESA, which delivers air pollution alerts and health advice via SMS text messages to those who suffer from asthma and other conditions vulnerable to poor air quality.

29 Mar 2007

Combatting chronic obstructive lung disease

You are more likely to contract chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) if you have a low income and below average education.

22 Mar 2007

Asthmatic children still not breathing easier

"The bottom line is that there's much work that needs to be done in making sure that children with asthma receive appropriate and effective care; it's more complex than one might think."

15 Mar 2007

Race affects passive smoke absorption in children

New research suggests that a child's race may be a factor in determining his/her susceptibility to tobacco toxins associated with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

13 Mar 2007

Survey says some children's medicines contain a "cocktail of additives"

Researchers in Britain are warning that most medicines for babies and young children contain additives which are often banned from foods and drinks aimed at under-threes.

12 Mar 2007

Exposure to diesel exhaust during commutes poses a serious public health risk

The Boston-based environmental research group reported today that even though we spend only a tiny portion of our day commuting, it's during the commute that we receive more than half our overall exposure to deadly fine particle pollution.

28 Feb 2007

Vitamin D deficiency widespread among women during pregnancy

Even regular use of prenatal multivitamin supplements is not adequate to prevent vitamin D insufficiency, University of Pittsburgh researchers report in the current issue of the Journal of Nutrition, the publication of the American Society for Nutrition.

28 Feb 2007

Pharmaceutical companies overcharging federal health care programs

Pharmaceutical companies have been systematically overcharging federal health care programs, costing taxpayers billions of dollars, according to federal officials, members of Congress and an advocacy group, the Newhouse News/Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

25 Feb 2007

FDA wants warning label on omalizumab (Xolair)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has requested Genentech, Inc. add a boxed warning to the product label for omalizumab, marketed as Xolair.

21 Feb 2007

Newborns with respiratory distress should be evaluated for primary ciliary dyskinesia

Reviewing published reports, Ferkol and Margaret Leigh, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), found that neonatal respiratory distress was a common clinical symptom of PCD, a chronic airway disease that affects about 1 in 15,000 children.

20 Feb 2007

Racial/ethnic disparities in symptom severity among children hospitalized with asthma

Children in this country suffer from asthma more than any other chronic illness, and new research finds African-American children with the condition have a greater risk than others of experiencing severe symptoms that escalate into an emergency.

20 Feb 2007