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.

Mould toxins in buildings more prevalent and hazardous than thought

Mould toxins in buildings damaged by moisture are considerably more prevalent than was previously thought, according to new international research.

10 Dec 2008

MedImmune starts phase 2 trial of antibody targeting IL-5 receptor

MedImmune has announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with chronic asthma to determine the safety of subcutaneous dosing of a humanized monoclonal antibody (MAb) that targets the interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5R).

8 Dec 2008

Environmental tobacco smoke linked to behavioral problems in boys with asthma

Boys with asthma who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke have higher degrees of hyperactivity, aggression, depression and other behavioral problems, according to researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

5 Dec 2008

School-based asthma education program helps children and adolescents to better manage condition

A new study has found that a school-based asthma education program conducted in the Oakland, California school district was shown to reduce symptoms and increase the number of days that children who suffered from asthma were able to go to school..

3 Dec 2008

Pregnant women with asthma can be more confident about some medicines

Women can usually keep using the same asthma drugs they were using before they got pregnant.

3 Dec 2008

WHO says governments must do more to improve access to essential medicines

An alarming lack of availability of essential medicines in the public sector drives patients to pay higher prices in the private sector or go without, according to a WHO study reported in the online edition of The Lancet. The results confirm that governments must do more to improve access to essential medicines as part of their efforts to make national health systems more efficient and equitable.

2 Dec 2008

Worrying about your health? more government money will help you stay well

A national poll by the Australian medical research body, Research Australia, has found that many Australians are worried about developing a range of chronic diseases during their lifetime, particularly diseases such as arthritis.

2 Dec 2008

Place of birth plays a role in the occurrence of asthma in U.S black population

The researchers found that within one inner-city population, blacks born in the United States were more likely to have asthma than blacks who were born outside of the United States.

1 Dec 2008

If cold symptoms persist it could be sinusitis

If your stuffy nose and headache last for more than two weeks, it may be more serious than a cold.

1 Dec 2008

Experts urge change in asthma management

The need for an urgent change in asthma management is advocated this week by a group of respiratory specialists, patient representatives, GPs and paediatricians from across Europe and North America.

30 Nov 2008

Generic drug competition benefits Ontarians

Following yesterday's release of the Competition Bureau's report, "Benefiting from Generic Drug Competition in Canada: The Way Forward," the Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA) is emphasizing that competition in the generic drugs industry is already benefiting Ontarians through accessible, high quality, cost-effective professional pharmacy care.

26 Nov 2008

Scientists create synthetic Heparin in more varieties

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have learned to customize a key human enzyme responsible for producing heparin, opening the door to a more effective synthetic anticoagulant as well as treatments for other conditions.

25 Nov 2008

Call for greater caution in prescribing inhaled corticosteroids to COPD sufferers

Lung disease experts at Johns Hopkins are calling for physicians to show much greater caution in prescribing inhaled corticosteroid drugs for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after finding evidence that the widely used anti-inflammatory medications increase the risk of pneumonia by a full third.

25 Nov 2008

MorphoSys granted U.S. patent on antibodies against GM-CSF to treat inflammatory disorders

MorphoSys AG and the University of Melbourne announced today that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has confirmed that it will issue U.S. Patent No. 7,455,836, covering key uses of antibodies against GM-CSF.

25 Nov 2008

Women more likely than men to be hospitalized for chest pain

Women are more likely than men to be hospitalized for chest pain for which doctors cannot find a cause, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

24 Nov 2008

Children with constipation a significant health issue

According to new research conducted at Nationwide Children's Hospital, the burden of illness in children suffering from constipation, and the costs associated with this condition, are roughly of the same magnitude as those for asthma and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

24 Nov 2008