Asthma News and Research

RSS

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.

Aerosol cleaners used in the home may cause respiratory difficulties and asthma in adults

The use of home cleaning products in the form of aerosols, at least once a week, is related to the appearance of respiratory difficulties and asthma in adults.

26 Jun 2007

EPA wants stronger air quality standards for smog

EPA is proposing to strengthen the nation's air quality standards for ground-level ozone, revising the standards for the first time since 1997.

23 Jun 2007

EPA ozone pollution standards unhealthy for America

David H. Ingbar MD, president of the American Thoracic Society, today called the proposed standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency for ozone pollution, commonly known as smog-unhealthy for America's kids, unhealthy for America's seniors, and unhealthy for America."

23 Jun 2007

Irish Smokefree law reduces smoking in the home

Around one in five Irish smokers are lighting up less at home since the introduction of the smoking ban in 2004, new research has revealed.

23 Jun 2007

40 percent of parents willing to have their child's DNA stored in a government biobank

Genetic testing holds great promise for the future. Information generated by genetic testing may provide information that leads to new treatments for common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

23 Jun 2007

Asthma and allergic shock

Asthma, even a mild form, is the single most important factor that increases the risk of death from anaphylaxis (allergic shock), says a new report from Harvard Medical School, What To Do About Allergies .

14 Jun 2007

Children receiving antibiotics before age 1 at greater risk for asthma by age 7

The study, published in the June issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), reports that children receiving antibiotics in the first year of life were at greater risk for developing asthma by age 7 than those not receiving antibiotics.

14 Jun 2007

Babies given antibiotics more likely to develop asthma

Canadian researchers are suggesting that children who receive antibiotics as infants have a greater risk of developing asthma by the age of 7, than those children not given antibiotics.

12 Jun 2007

Study of exertion-related shortness of breath in obese men

Obese men who find themselves short of breath even after moderate physical activity are invited to participate in a study by UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine.

8 Jun 2007

Newer iodine-containing contrast agents safe for children

Allergic-like reactions to newer iodine-containing contrast agents (nonionic contrast media), are rare in children according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan Medical Center and C.S. Mott Children's Hospital both in Ann Arbor.

8 Jun 2007

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