Asthma is a chronic (long-lasting) inflammatory disease of the airways. In those susceptible to asthma, this inflammation causes the airways to narrow periodically. This, in turn, produces wheezing and breathlessness, sometimes to the point where the patient gasps for air.
Asthma pill more user friendly than inhalers — and no less effective – A rarely prescribed asthma drug is easier to use and just as effective as conventional treatment with inhalers, according to a new study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
NIH study finds omalizumab relieves seasonal asthma attacks in youth — Symptoms reduced in children and young people with moderate to severe disease – A drug that targets the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), a key player in asthma, nearly eliminated seasonal increases in asthma attacks and decreased asthma symptoms among young people living in inner city environments, a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health has found.
Childhood asthma foundation invests millions to implement best practices to manage the disease – The Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN), announced it is targeting four high risk cities with nearly $4 million for programs that will combine evidence-based science, case management and asthma trigger removal plans to manage a disease that requires more than the right medical care.
Largest genetic study of asthma points towards better treatments — Genetic variants increase susceptibility to asthma – An international study looking at DNA from over 26,000 people has identified several genetic variants that substantially increase susceptibility to asthma in the population.
Study points to key genetic driver of severe allergic asthma – Scientists have identified a genetic basis for determining the severity of allergic asthma in experimental models of the disease.
Burger diet boosts kids’ asthma and wheeze risk — Effect of diet on asthma and allergic sensitisation in the International Study on Allergies and Asthma in Childhood – Eating three or more burgers a week may boost a child’s risk of asthma and wheeze – at least in developed nations – reveals a large international study, published in Thorax today.
Air Pollution Exposure at Schools Linked to Childhood Asthma – Living near major highways has been linked to childhood asthma, but a new study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC suggests that traffic-related pollution near schools is also contributing to the development of asthma in children.
FDA Announces New Safety Controls for Long-Acting Beta Agonists, Medications Used to Treat Asthma – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that drugs in the class of long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) should never be used alone in the treatment of asthma in children or adults.
Exposures to metals and diesel emissions in air linked to respiratory symptoms in children – Exposure shortly after birth to ambient metals from residential heating oil combustion and particles from diesel emissions are associated with respiratory symptoms in young inner city children.
Asthma a significant risk factor for complications in children with H1N1 – Asthma is a significant risk factor for severe disease in children with pandemic H1N1 compared with the seasonal flu, revealed by Canadian researchers.
