Asthma
Asthmatic boys hospitalized more often than girls
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Boys under the age of 15 years are more likely than girls of this age to be hospitalized for asthma, but this is largely because more boys than girls have asthma, new research suggests.
Age-related differences in sex prevalence have been “consistently reported” in hospitalized asthma patients, note California-based investigators in the journal Chest. Up to twice as many inpatients younger than 15 years are male, while up to three times as many hospitalized patients older than 15 are female.
Fish Oil Reduces Airway Inflammation Caused by Exercise-Induced Asthma
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People suffering from exercise-induced asthma were able to reduce their symptoms below the threshold used to diagnose the disease by eating a diet supplemented with fish oil, according to new research findings from Indiana University reported in the January issue of the journal Chest.
The special diet reduced narrowing of the patient’s airway and enabled the person to use less asthma medication, the study showed. These and related research findings by exercise physiologist Timothy D. Mickleborough offer the prospect of combining dietary supplementation with reduced medication in a treatment that could be at least as beneficial as either in isolation. There would also be fewer of the potential side effects from medication, such as reduced effectiveness from long-term use and toxicity from some medications.
Hairdressers at Risk for Occupational Asthma
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The bleaching agents used by hairdressers can cause occupational asthma and rhinitis, say researchers here.
The finding comes from an eight-year series study of 47 hairdressers who were referred to the allergy and immunology unit at the Scientific Institute of Pavia here, according to Gianna Moscato, M.D., head of the allergy unit.
Asthma Research Shows Lung Function Set Early
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Preschoolers with asthma symptoms have their level of lung function set by the age of six and don’t change much for at least 10 years, researchers here say.
The finding, derived from a long-term follow-up of 826 children in a population-based birth cohort here, eases fears that asthmatic children face years of deteriorating lung function, according to Wayne Morgan, M.D., of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center.
School program helps kids control asthma
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Asthmatic children who learn about their condition at school seem to have a better handle on their symptoms, according to a new study.
The study of 26 Canadian elementary schools found that children in schools with an asthma education program were more confident in their ability to manage their symptoms. They also reported a better quality of life than asthmatic children in schools without an education program.
Complete control - new guidlines for asthmatics
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A Mayo Clinic allergist and his colleagues have announced that they are revising the old classification of asthma patients by disease severity to determine treatment, and moving to a new expectation for all asthma patients: excellent symptom control.
Every year, nearly 500,000 Americans with asthma are hospitalized, and more than 4,000 die from disease-related causes.
New AAAAI Guidelines Stress Flexibility in Asthma Therapy
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Rather than a rigid treatment regimen determined by an initial assessment of disease severity, asthma therapy should be flexible, responding to changes in symptoms.
So suggest new guidelines from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) that emphasize the dynamic nature of the disease.
Asthma hospitalizations in kids often preventable
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In many cases, the need to hospitalize children with asthma could be averted by better communication with the physician and better medication adherence, according to a report in the medical journal Pediatrics.
“The most important step primary care providers can take to prevent pediatric asthma hospitalizations is to ensure that parents and children are well educated about the child’s condition, medications, the need for follow-up care, and the importance of avoiding known disease triggers,” said Dr. Glenn Flores from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Test of asthma control for youngsters introduced
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At the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics this week, a seven-item asthma control questionnaire that identifies children 4 years old to 11 who have poorly controlled asthma was unveiled.
Called the Childhood Asthma Control Test, or Childhood ACT, it is designed for use in a pediatrician’s office and asks young children, with a caregiver’s guidance, to respond to four of the questions, while the caregiver is asked to respond to three questions. It was developed by a working group of pediatric specialists in asthma and immunology, and sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.
Asthma still under-treated in pregnant women
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Asthma is not being treated adequately in young women, both before and during pregnancy, according to new data that support the findings of previous studies.
Appropriate use of inhaled corticosteroids during pregnancy reduces illness due to asthma, said Dr. Michael Schatz from Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center in San Diego.
Asthma education aids inner-city Latinos
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An education program designed for Latino asthma sufferers has shown promise for improving patients’ asthma control and quality of life, according to researchers.
Their study, of 198 asthmatic adults living in a predominately Hispanic area of New York City, found that a “culturally directed” asthma education program helped cut hospital visits for asthma attacks and lessen the burden the lung disease put on patients’ lives.
Season of birth linked to dust-mite asthma
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There appears to be an association between birth month and sensitization to house dust mites in asthmatic children, Korean researchers report.
Early exposure to high levels of allergy-triggering substances is key to the development of hypersensitivities, Dr. Young Yull Koh, of Seoul National University Hospital and colleagues write in the medical journal Allergy.
Computer games help diagnose young kids’ asthma
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Interactive computer games can help identify asthma in children as young as 2 years old, according to a new study.
Researchers in Israel found that animated computer games were useful in teaching young children how to use a spirometer, an instrument that measures lung capacity and helps diagnosed asthma.
Singulair helpful for kids with asthma, allergies
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The asthma controller Singulair (generic name, montelukast) appears useful and economical for the treatment of children with asthma and allergic rhinitis, according to US researchers.
“Childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis frequently coexist ... and result in substantial costs for the family and the health care system,” said lead author Dr. Alan Luskin from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Experimental once-a-day asthma drug promising
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An experimental asthma drug under development by Novartis AG works quickly and lasts for 24 hours in patients with asthma and smoker’s lung, data from a study released on Monday showed.
Novartis said its indacaterol drug, formerly known as QAB149, was well-tolerated in patients and worked when administered just once a day, unlike other drugs of its kind which need twice-daily dosing.
