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.

Researchers seek trial participants for experimental HIV vaccine called PENNVAX-B

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers are recruiting healthy, HIV-negative adults to participate in a phase I clinical trial of an experimental HIV vaccine called PENNVAX-B, a DNA-based vaccine which is made using synthetic DNA-based HIV genes.

4 Feb 2008

Allergies linked to irritable bowel syndrome

Adults with allergy symptoms report a high incidence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), suggesting a link between atopic disorders and IBS according to a study published on January in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American Collegeof Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

31 Jan 2008

Severe asthma may be a different form of the disease

A multi-center research project to investigate severe asthma has found a key physiological difference between severe and non-severe forms of the disease, a finding that could help explain why those with severe asthma do not respond well to treatment.

31 Jan 2008

Lungs' mast cells could provide new treatment target for asthma, other respiratory disease

An enzyme released by mast cells in the lungs appears to play a key role in the tightening of airways that is a hallmark of asthma pointing to a potential new target for treatment against the illness.

30 Jan 2008

New target found for asthma

An enzyme released by mast cells in the lungs appears to play a key role in the tightening of airways that is a hallmark of asthma -- pointing to a potential new target for treatment against the illness.

29 Jan 2008

Researchers propose consumers buy yearly 'drug licenses' as new way to pay for prescriptions

Changing the way consumers pay for prescription drugs so that the system more closely resembles paying for cell phones or computer software could increase drug use without altering patients' out-of-pocket spending, health plan costs or drug company profits, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

23 Jan 2008

New air sensor system will help asthmatics

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a sensor system that continuously monitors the air around persons prone to asthma attacks.

23 Jan 2008

New genetic test for prostate cancer

Men with susceptibility for prostate cancer will soon be identifiable through a simple DNA test.

18 Jan 2008

Discovery opens door to 'personalized' asthma therapy

In the last few years, "personalized medicine" using genetic or other molecular biology-based diagnostic tests to customize treatment for a particular patient has emerged as a powerful new tool for health care.

18 Jan 2008

Rare lung disease cells indicate higher death risk

Large numbers of certain cells in the lungs of patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may increase their chance of death, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered.

17 Jan 2008

759,000 children with asthma endure gaps in insurance every year

Every year, 759,000 children with asthma may be at risk of a major asthma attack while they have no health insurance.

17 Jan 2008

Analysis shows adverse health consequences from overdue EPA emissions standards for diesel trains and ships

A new technical analysis shows that even a one year delay by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in implementing overdue emission standards for diesel trains and ships will allow serious health effects to go unaddressed over the course of EPA's program.

16 Jan 2008

Maternal stress may increase child asthma

Children whose mothers are chronically stressed during their early years have a higher asthma rate than their peers, regardless of their income, gender or other known asthma risk factors.

16 Jan 2008

How asthma and allergy symptoms are triggered

In demonstrating that a group of calcium ion channels play a crucial role in triggering inflammatory responses, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have not only solved a longstanding molecular mystery regarding the onset of asthma and allergy symptoms, but have also provided a fundamental discovery regarding the functioning of mast cells.

15 Jan 2008

Mediterranean diet for pregnant women reduces child's risk for asthma

The latest research suggests that pregnant women who eat a Mediterranean diet may help protect their children from asthma and other allergies.

15 Jan 2008

Living with nut allergies

The incidence of nut allergy is on the increase in Western societies, as is the attention it receives from the public and from the media, yet little research has been carried out on the impact of living with the condition.

10 Jan 2008

Immunotherapy - How does immunotherapy work? When is immunotherapy helpful?

Those who suffer from allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis or stinging insect allergies may be good candidates to receive immunotherapy, also known as "allergy shots," according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

10 Jan 2008

Study proves the co-pay connection in chronic disease

As 2008 begins, millions of Americans are having to dig deeper into their own pockets every time they refill a prescription or see a doctor.

9 Jan 2008

Children with high nitric oxide levels may still breathe easy

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gas released by cells in the lungs. When a person with allergies and/or asthma experiences an inflamed airway, the inflammatory cells release more NO and the NO levels increase. Due to this fact, fractional concentration of exhaled NO (FeNO) is an increasingly used tool in the diagnosis and management of asthma in children and adults.

7 Jan 2008

For babies delaying solid foods may not prevent allergies but breast feeding might

Although the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and others recommend that parents delay the introduction solid foods for 4 to 6 months in order to lower a child's allergy risk, new research is suggesting that this may not be such wise advice.

7 Jan 2008