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.
A tiny variation in a gene known as CHI3L1 increases susceptibility to asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and decline in lung function, researchers report early online in the New England Journal of Medicine. – A tiny variation in a gene known as CHI3L1 increases susceptibility to asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and decline in lung function, researchers report early online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Randomized aspirin assignment and risk of adult onset asthma in the women’s health study. – Aspirin in small quantity on alternate days can cut the risk of developing asthma among women, suggests a large study, published ahead of print in Thorax from UK.
Toddlers with eczema who have a positive skin prick test for allergy have almost triple the risk of developing asthma than those with a negative test. – Toddlers with eczema who have a positive skin prick test for allergy have almost triple the risk of developing asthma than those with a negative test, says an Australian study.
Maternal distress in early life plays a role in the development of childhood asthma, especially if distress continues beyond the postpartum period. – Evidence is emerging that exposure to maternal distress in early life plays a causal role in the development of childhood 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.
This is the first study to investigate in a real-life setting, outside of the laboratory, if traffic fumes make symptoms worse for people with asthma. Two thirds of people with asthma believe this to be the case.
– Diesel exhaust fumes on polluted streets have a measurable effect on people with asthma, according to the first study looking at exhausts and asthma in a real-life setting, published on 6 December in the New England Journal of Medicine.
