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.

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

Eczema still on the increase in developing countries

Experts are warning policy makers that allergic disease might replace infectious disease as a major cause of ill health in cities undergoing rapid demographic changes in developing countries.

7 Jan 2008

Study shows how climate change will increase human mortality

A Stanford scientist has spelled out for the first time the direct links between increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increases in human mortality, using a state-of-the-art computer model of the atmosphere that incorporates scores of physical and chemical environmental processes.

4 Jan 2008

Protein a possible key to allergy and asthma control

Activating a protein found on some immune cells seems to halt the cells' typical job of spewing out substances that launch allergic reactions, a study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests.

3 Jan 2008

Contact with commonly used pesticides associated with greater asthma risk in farm women

New research on farm women has shown that contact with some commonly used pesticides in farm work may increase their risk of allergic asthma.

2 Jan 2008

NIEHS awards $6.8 million DISCOVER grants

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, is awarding a total of $6.8 million for the first year of funding to three new research centers called DISCOVER - Disease Investigation Through Specialized Clinically-Oriented Ventures in Environmental Research.

28 Dec 2007

New immune system discovery will help fight hay fever and other allergies

A mechanism which can lead to hay fever and other allergic reactions, by preventing the immune system from regulating itself properly, has been discovered by scientists.

28 Dec 2007

New scheme to revolutionise system of prescribing medicines

Patients could be saved millions of trips to their GP under a new scheme that has the potential to revolutionise the system of prescribing medicines.

18 Dec 2007

Commonly available antibiotic targets difficult asthma

Hunter researchers have shown that a commonly available antibiotic can improve the quality of life of patients with difficult asthma, and may also generate significant health care savings.

18 Dec 2007

Exposure to traffic pollution can lead to chronic effects in the respiratory health of children with asthma

Exposure to traffic pollution may increase respiratory problems and reduce lung volumes in children with asthma, according to researchers who studied the effects of road and traffic density on children's lung function and respiratory symptoms in the border town of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

17 Dec 2007

Do parents care if kids are fat?

There's no harm in allowing kids a few extra cookies, a box of candy canes, some fudge and an extra helping of turkey and mashed potatoes during the holidays, right?

11 Dec 2007

Study finds disease management programs improve the quality of health care

Disease management programs that help guide the care of patients with chronic health problems appear to improve the quality of health care, but there is little evidence that such efforts actually save money, according to a study issued by the RAND Corporation.

10 Dec 2007

International team gets new award to research the causes of bladder problems that affect one in six adults

An international research project which aims to solve why some people feel the constant need to urinate - a condition that affects one in every six adults - has received a prestigious new £420,000 award from the leading UK-based urology journal and charity BJU International.

10 Dec 2007

Winter flu doubles the risk of heart attacks and stroke

Scientists in Britain say a dose of winter infections such flu can double the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

9 Dec 2007

Peanut allergies soar and appear much earlier

Scientists in the U.S. have voiced their concern that peanut allergies are appearing much earlier in children.

4 Dec 2007

Inhaled immune system stimulant launches immune response in lungs to wipe out lethal infections

An inhaled immune system stimulant protects mice against lethal pneumococcal pneumonia and other deadly bacterial, viral and fungal infections of the lungs, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at a major scientific meeting.

4 Dec 2007