Astma
Allochtonen hebben vaker astma en
COPD
Astma, COPD en hooikoorts komen in
Nederland vaker voor bij niet-westerse allochtonen. Vergeleken met autochtone Nederlanders
lijden vooral Turkse mannen tussen 40 en 65 jaar vaker aan COPD, terwijl astma vaker
voorkomt bij Surinamers en Antillianen. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van het NIVEL in
samenwerking met het Astma Fonds. Op basis van een literatuuronderzoek en analyses van de
Tweede Nationale Studie (NS2) werd gekeken hoe vaak astma, COPD en hooikoorts voorkomen
onder Nederlanders en in Nederland wonende Turken, Marokkanen, Surinamers en Antillianen.
http://www.nivel.nl/oc2/page.asp?PageID=8162
Tapijt op werk vergroot kans op
astma bij volwassenen
Volgens Dr. Jouni J. K. Jaakkola van de
University of Helsinki in Finland spelen zaken als tapijt op het werk, schimmels etc een
grote rol bij een verhoogde kans dat volwassenen astma gaan ontwikkelen. Met name
oppervlaktes van plastic en textiel spelen een belangrijke rol.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=
healthNews&storyID=2006-11-06
De studie
Interior Surface Materials and Asthma in
Adults: A Population-based Incident Case-Control Study
Jouni J. K. Jaakkola, Antonia Ieromnimon,
and Maritta S. Jaakkola
American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access published on July 28, 2006
Am. J. Epidemiol. 2006 164: 742-749; doi:10.1093/aje/kwj249
aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/8/742
Kinderen van moeders die ongezond
eten hebben meer kans op astma
Moeders die ongzond eten hebben een grotere
kans op kinderen te krijgen die astma ontwikkelen. Moeder die daarintegen een dieet volgen
dat rijk is aan vitamine D (vette vis, levertraan, veel zonlicht) hebben juist weer 60%
minder kans op een kind met astma. Verder spelen vitamine E, zink en selenium een remmende
rol.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/
news/2006/11/12/npreg12.xml
Tip: Willy van der Veen
Astma, alergieën, eczema,
psoriasis, fysiologie van een ziekte
Op 15 Juli 1974, sterft mijn zoon Franck op
zijn tiende verjaardag. Hij leed aan een ernstige astma crisis. Een overdosis van de astma
medicatie theophyline, door toedoen van een fout van de apotheker (hij gaf ons
suppositoires voor volwassenen in plaats van een dosis voor kinderen), veroorzaakte zijn
dood. De volgende pagina's beschrijven de barriières en weerstand die ik van het medisch
establishment heb ondervonden tijdens mijn vastberadenheid om andere astma lijders te
helpen via fysische therapie in plaats van met medicatie.
In 1984, waren
mijn research files indrukwekkend, maar in mijn pogingen om deze te publiceren werd ik
telkens tegengehouden door het medisch establishment. Dit was in tegenstrijd met mijn vele
research en met de de grote successen die ik kende, tesamen met medewerking van
individuele dokters. Verder beschouw ik het werk dat ik heb verricht eerder als een echte
klinische ontdekking dan als een techniek die wordt gecatalogeerd onder de noemer van
"alternatieve geneeskunst".
En toen kwam het
internet. De eerste versie van deze site kwam er omdat ik gezworen had van een weg te
vinden om mensen met astma problemen een betere gezondheid te bieden.
http://asthma-reality-gesret.com/nederland.htm
Grote studie naar gebruik
Lactobacillus GG bij astma in VS
In Amerika start binnenkort een grote
studie naar de probiotica Lactobacillus GG. Men wil kijken of deze bacterie astma kan
voorkomen of symptomen kan afremmen. Eerder toonden al aan dat bepaalde supplementen zoals
probiotica het immuunsysteem sterker kan maken en zo eventueel astma kan voorkomen.
http://www.tipsasthmaresearch.org/
Het probleem aan de andere kant is de
groei van vaccins die een jong kind moet doorlopen wat naast de milieuvervuiling en
chemische vervuiling via de navelstreng de nodige extra belasting geeft van het nog niet
ontwikkelde immuunsysteem. Heeft de moeder tijdens de zwangerschap ook nog gerookt,
alcohol gedronken of ongezond gegeten dan zal dit probleem uiteraard nog groter zijn.
Nieuwe astma test kan eerder astma
aantonen bij jonge kinderen
Het probleem met jonge kinderen die astma
hebben is het feit dat pas vanaf een jaar of zes dit kan worden getest omdat kinderen diep
moeten in- en uitademen. Dus tot die tijd zijn ze te jong voor een zogenaamde spirometry
test. Maar nu is er in Amerika een door de FDA goedgekeurde methode "impulse
oscillometry" waarin het kind normaal kan ademen en dus jonger getest kan worden.
http://www.nbc4.tv/health/10340113/detail.html
Het apparaat
http://www.viasyshealthcare.com/prod_serv/prodDetail.
aspx?config=ps_prodDtl&prodID=14
De technische kant
http://www.viasyshealthcare.com/prod_serv/downloads/ra_ch5.pdf
Een studie onder kinderen
Reference Values in Children 100 to 150 cm
in Height and 3 to 10 Years of Age
http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/full/128/3/1266
Verbod op roken in de auto...twee
keer schadelijker dan de ergste kroeg
In Nieuw Zeeland wil men een stapje verder
gaan met het indammen van roken. Uit een nieuwe studie van de Wellington School of
Medicine blijkt namelijk dat met name het roken bij kinderen tot luchtwegaandoeningen
leidt. Het meeroken in de auto is zelfs twee keer zo schadelijk als het meeroken in het
ergste kroeg vanwege de relatief kleine ruimte.
Op een erge smog dag (zware
luchtvervuiling) is de vervuiling 35-40 micrograms per kubieke meter, bij een auto waarin
gerookt wordt is dat bij een raam open ruim 5 keer zo hoog (199 microgram). Zitten de
ramen dicht dan is de vervuiling zelfs 2926 microgram per kubieke meter dus 70 keer zo
hoog als een dag dat er zware smog in een stad is. De onderzoekers roepen op tot extra
wetgeving om zo met name kinderen in auto's te beschermen.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/26/asia/
AS_GEN_New_Zealand_Car_Smoking.php
Wat is smog?
Het woord ‘smog’ is een
samentrekking van de Engelse woorden ‘smoke’ (rook) en ‘fog’ (mist).
Er zijn twee soorten smog: zomer- en wintersmog. Zomersmog bestaat uit vooral ozon, fijn
stof en, in mindere mate, stikstofdioxide en zwaveldioxide. In de winter bestaat smog uit
een mengsel van hoofdzakelijk fijn stof en zwaveldioxide.
http://www.vrom.nl/pagina.html?id=11522
Astma en vrachtwagens die op diesel
rijden
Volgens George Thurston, Sc.D., Associate
Professor of Environmental Medicine at NYU School of Medicine in New York is er een
duidelijke relatie tussen astma en kinderen en de root deeltjes in de lucht van
vrachtwagens die op diesel rijden. De ergste stof was carbon dat in de uitlaat van een
dieselmotor zit. Dit type carbon wordt ook in andere studies als de grote boosdoener
gezien.
http://www.med.nyu.edu/communications/news/pr_204.html
Nieuw aanpak astma zonder
medicijnen - bronchial thermoplasty
Goed nieuws voor astma patiënten. Dr. Ali
I. Musani ( University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia) is bezig met een
klinische studie naar een nieuwe methode om astma patiënten verlichting te geven zonder
medicijnen. Door allergenen trekken namelijk de zachte luchtwegspieren samen, Dr Musami
brengt nu via een buisje in de luchtweg een klein mandje in dat hitte uitstraalt en dan
het spierweefsel dat de problemen veroorzaakt uitschakelt. De proefpersonen in deze studie
hadden minder aanvallen en kwamen minder op de eerste hulp terecht.
Veel longklachten in vroege
volwassenheid bij te vroeg geborenen
Wanneer kinderen te vroeg (prematuur)
geboren worden, hebben zij soms zeer langdurig extra zuurstof nodig. Bovendien ontwikkelen
zij een chronische longziekte die bronchopulmonale dysplasie (BPD) wordt genoemd. Eliane
Vrijlandt deed onderzoek naar de invloed van vroeggeboorte op de gezondheid van de longen
en de luchtwegen. Het blijkt dat prematuur geboren kinderen op jonge leeftijd (3-5 jaar)
veel luchtwegproblemen rapporteren, maar dat de kinderen met BPD niet meer klachten melden
dan de kinderen zonder BPD. Een derde van een onderzochte groep vroeg geborenen geeft op
19-jarige leeftijd aan luchtwegklachten te hebben.
De diagnose astma werd in de groep
ex-prematuren vaker gesteld dan bij controlepersonen in de normale bevolking. In
longfunctieonderzoek bij de jongvolwassen ex-prematuren werd een geringe mate van
luchtwegobstructie en een verminderde gaswisseling vastgesteld. Daarnaast konden ze zich
minder goed inspannen dan gezonde leeftijdgenoten. De totale longcapaciteit en maximale
zuurstofopnamecapaciteit lieten echter geen verschillen zien. Binnen deze groep werd geen
verschil geconstateerd tussen deelnemers met of zonder BPD. Opvallend was dat
ex-prematuren minder vaak last hadden van allergie en eczeem.
Bron: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Stofmijthoezen en astma
Astma wordt gekenmerkt door
ontstekingsprocessen in de longen. Ontstekingsremmende pufjes vormen de hoeksteen van de
behandeling. Met de introductie van zelfbehandeling kan de medicatie op verantwoorde wijze
zo laag mogelijk gehouden worden om bijwerkingen te voorkomen. Daarnaast zijn veel
astmapatiënten allergisch voor huisstofmijt, die vooral in bed veel voorkomt. Om de
blootstelling aan huisstofmijt allergenen te verminderen, zijn speciale hoezen ontwikkeld
voor het matras, kussen en dekbed.
In dit proefschrift wordt aangetoond dat de
combinatie van zelfbehandeling en allergeenvermijding (de hoezen) niet leidt tot minder
medicijngebruik in vergelijking met alleen zelfbehandeling. Tevens beschrijft het
proefschrift dat astma controle bij patiënten die onder behandeling zijn van de huisarts,
goed lijkt te zijn.
mw.drs. Marjolein P. de Vries
in de Faculteit der Geneeskunde.
Titel: “Asthma control in
general practice. The effect of self-management and allergen avoidance”.
http://www.unimaas.nl/
Astma inhalers op basis van
beta-agonisten verdubbelen kans op overlijden
Een nieuwe analyse bij astma en COPD
(chronische luchtwegaandoeningen) patiënten laat zien dat zogenaamde anti-cholinergica
luchtwegverwijders (tiotropium en ipratropium) de kans op overlijden met 73% verkleinen
terwijl inhalers op basis van beta-agonisten (metaproterenol [Alupent], formoterol
[Foradil], salmeterol [Serevent, Advair] and albuterol [Proventil, Ventolin, Volmax en
anderen]) juist de kans op overlijden meer dan verdubbelde. En juist deze laatste groep
wordt bij 95% van de recepten gebruikt. Deze analyse is gebaseerd op 22 studies onder
15,276 deelnemers en werd uitgevoerd door de Cornell en Stanford universiteiten.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/June06/Salpeter.COPD.kr.html
UMCG onderzoekt effect nieuwe
behandeling voor astmapatiënten
Warmte kan medicijngebruik voor patiënten
sterk verminderen
De longafdeling van het UMCG start een
onderzoek naar het effect van een nieuwe, niet-medicamenteuze behandelwijze voor
astmapatiënten. Bij deze behandeling wordt lokaal in de luchtwegen overtollig
spierweefsel weggebrand. De luchtwegen blijven dan beter open, waardoor de patiënt minder
benauwd is. Het UMCG doet mee aan een internationaal onderzoek naar deze nieuwe
behandelvorm en is het enige centrum in Nederland dat hieraan meedoet.
Astma is een chronische ontsteking van de
luchtwegen, waarbij de luchtwegen zich te makkelijk en te veel vernauwen als reactie op
prikkels. Bij astmapatiënten is sprake van een verdikking van de spiertjes in de
luchtwegwand. Samentrekking van dit spierweefsel speelt een grote rol in de vernauwing van
de luchtwegen bij een astma-aanval.
Bij deze nieuwe behandeling, bronchiale
thermoplastiek genaamd, worden met behulp van radiofrequente energie de ontstoken
luchtwegen plaatselijk opgewarmd. Hierdoor wordt het overtollige spierweefsel in de
luchtwegwand weggebrand met als gevolg dat de luchtwegen beter open blijven en minder
sterk reageren op prikkels van buitenaf.
Een eerdere studie naar deze behandeling
gaf verbetering van zowel de astmaklachten als van de longfunctie. De kwaliteit van leven
van astmapatiënten kan met de nieuwe behandeling sterk worden verbeterd. Patiënten
moeten nu vaak langdurig veel medicijnen gebruiken om de benauwdheid zo veel mogelijk te
beperken. De onderzoekers van het UMCG verwachten dat bronchiale thermoplastiek een
waardevolle aanvulling zal zijn op de bestaande medicamenteuze behandelingsmogelijkheden
van astma. Mogelijk hebben de patiënten na deze behandeling minder medicijnen nodig om
hun astma onder controle te krijgen.
Het onderzoek richt zich op astmapatiënten
tussen de 18 en 65 jaar, die niet roken en ondanks medicijngebruik nog steeds regelmatig
klachten hebben. De behandelde groep zal tot maximaal vijf jaar na de behandeling nog
gevolgd worden door het UMCG.
San Antonio wetenschapper ontdekt
hoe een Mycroplasma bacterie cellen beschadigd
Wetenschappers zijn al lang aan het
uitpuzzelen hoe een vreemd gevormde bacterie met de naam Mycroplasma pneumonia
respiratoire infecties zoals bronchitis en astma kan veroorzaken. Na 3 decennia's hard
werken is microbioloog Joel Baseman er achter dat deze bacterie een toxische stof
produceert die de kwetsbare cellen aantast. Experts zeggen dat deze ontdekking een
belangrijk doorbraak betekent en zal zorgen voor de ontwikkeling van vaccins,
diagnostische tests en therapeutische
medicatie.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/d4b8458.html
Studies geven meer duidelijkheid
over oorzaak van astma
Onderzoekers van de Southern Illinois
University School of Medicine in Springfield, USA onderzochten "markers" in
6,000 volwassenen. Hun doel was het meten van de hoeveelheid leptine in de deelnemers.
Leptine is een eiwit dat door vetweefsel wordt geproduceerd en in verband wordt gebracht
met astma. Mensen met astma bleken inderdaad hogere hoeveelheden leptine te hebben, met
name bij de vrouwen. Onderzoekers van de Children's Hospital in Boston ontdekten dat niet
de type 2 helper cellen een belangrijke rol bij astma spelen maar de natural-killer T
cellen.
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=13349
Gen ontdekt dat droge huid
veroorzaakt en tot astma en eczeem leidt
Experts van de universiteit van Dundee (UK)
hebben een gen ontdekt dat huidproblemen bij miljoenen mensen veroorzaakt. Samen met
onderzoekers uit Dublin, Glasgow, Seattle en Kopenhagen zijn zij tot de ontdekking dat dit
gen zorgt voor een droge huid wat uiteindelijk tot eczeem kan leiden evt gevolgd door
astma. Dit gen reguleert met name het eiwit filaggrin dat de vochthuishouding regelt van
de huid en het vocht binnenhoudt en andere organismes buitensluit.
Meer
Link tussen antibiotica gebruik bij
babies en astma op latere leeftijd
Uit een Canadese studie door de
universiteit van British Columbia onder 12,082 kinderen is er overtuigend bewijs gevonden
voor een relatie tussen het gebruik van antibiotica bij babies en astma op latere
leeftijd. Antibiotica doden namelijk ook de goede bacteriën in de maag waardoor het
immuunsysteem anders kan gan reageren op ziektes.
Computer beoordeelt piepen van
astmapatiënt
NWO-onderzoeker Mireille Oud van de
Universiteit van Amsterdam werkt aan een computerprogramma dat het ademgeluid van
astmapatiënten beoordeelt. Een microfoon op de adamsappel blijkt mogelijk voldoende om
een astma-aanval in een vroeg stadium te herkennen.
Tijdens een astmatische aanval vernauwen de
luchtwegen en verandert geleidelijk het geluid van de ademhaling. Een zelflerend
computerprogramma, ontwikkeld door NWO-onderzoeker dr. Mireille Oud, brengt de
geleidelijke veranderingen van het ademgeluid in kaart, iets waartoe het menselijk gehoor
niet in staat is. Longgeluidonderzoek elders maakt vooral onderscheid tussen niet-benauwd
en ‘Spaans benauwd’.
De NWO-postdoc concludeert dat het
ademgeluid voldoende informatie bevat om de mate van benauwdheid nauwkeurig te bepalen. De
onderzoeker legt de laatste hand aan een afsluitende publicatie van een serie metingen die
in Amsterdam zijn verricht. Een mogelijke toepassing van de techniek is een alarm dat
waarschuwt wanneer een patiënt het ‘s nachts benauwd krijgt. Daarnaast kunnen
onderzoekers de gesteldheid van een patiënt bestuderen zonder dat de patiënt benauwd
gemaakt hoeft te worden. Luisteren naar het ademgeluid biedt ook uitkomst bij kleine
kinderen. Die hebben vaak moeite met het meerdere malen hard blazen bij longfunctietesten.
Voordat de computer nauwkeurige analyses
van het ademgeluid kon uitvoeren, moest hij eerst gevoed worden met gegevens van zowel
geluidsmetingen als van de toestand van de longen. De medisch-natuurkundige maakte opnames
van ademgeluid tijdens longfunctietesten. Direct na elke geluidsopname volgde een
spirometriemeting. De proefpersoon blaast hierbij zo hard mogelijk in een mondstuk waarna
de hoeveelheid lucht in de eerste seconde wordt gemeten.
Tijdens longfunctietesten krijgt de
proefpersoon een lichaamseigen stof, histamine, toegediend. Vooral bij astmatici
veroorzaakt histamine luchtwegobstructie. De onderzoeker gebruikte verschillende
concentraties zodat gradaties van benauwdheid waren te zien. Of te horen, beter gezegd.
De onderzoeker blijft in de toekomst
research verrichten aan geluid en ademhaling. Met zogenaamde akoestische
impedantiemetingen wil de onderzoeker de doorgankelijkheid van de luchtwegen vaststellen.
Geluidsgolven met een lage frequentie worden de mond ingestuurd. Deze drukgolven brengen
de lucht in de longen in beweging. Afhankelijk van de mate van obstructie ontstaat er meer
of minder luchtstroming.
[Bron:
Dr Mireille Oud]
Internationaal
Asthma link raises query on spa pools
A new study's link between chlorinated indoor pools and asthma may carry a warning for spa
pool users. The study by researchers in Europe - published in the American journal
Pediatrics - suggested children who swam in indoor chlorinated pools during their early
years had higher rates than others of asthma and breathing problems later in life.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10444770
Parental Smoking, TNF, and Asthma
Polymorphisms in the proinflammatory cytokine genes tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF) and
lymphotoxin-? (LTA, also called TNF-?) have been associated with asthma and atopy in some
studies. Parental smoking is a consistent risk factor for childhood asthma. Secondhand
smoke and ozone both stimulate TNF production. Wu et al. (p. 616) investigated whether
genetic variations in TNF and LTA are associated with asthma and atopy and whether the
association is modified by parental smoking in a Mexican population with high ozone
exposure. The results suggest that genetic variation in TNF may contribute to childhood
asthma and that associations may be modified by parental smoking.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/9780/abstract.html
Book explores history, causes of allergy
and asthma epidemic
"The creation of artificial indoor climates through air-conditioning, for example,
together with the trend toward more airtight, energy-efficient buildings, increased the
risk of exposure to dust mites and mold, second-hand tobacco smoke and other indoor
allergens," he says.
http://www.news.wisc.edu/13787
High-Salt Diet Raises Asthma Risk
Asthmatics prone to exercise-triggered attacks may want to cut back on salt in their
diets, according to a new study.
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?181567
Asthma Herbal Remedy
In this article we will be taking a closer look at certain asthma herbal remedy treatments
that people who suffer from this condition may want to consider using alongside the
medication prescribed by their doctor.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=30461
Chlorinated Pools and the Risk of Asthma
The findings reported in our study (Bernard et al. 2006) confirm earlier observations
(Bernard et al. 2003), and a new larger study on adolescents, just completed, again brings
to light quite strong associations between different indicators of asthma and CPA,
especially among atopic children (Bernard et al., unpublished data).
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/10060/letter.html
Aerosol cleaners used in the home may
cause asthma
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. This
association becomes stronger when the use of these aerosol products (including glass
cleaners, furniture cleaners and air fresheners) is increased to four or more times a
week. On the other hand, non-aerosol cleaning products have not demonstrated a connection
with asthma. These are the main results from a multicentre, multinational study conducted
by various research teams, including the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology
(CREAL- Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental) and the Municipal Institute of
Medical Research (IMIM- Institut Municipal d’Investigació Mèdica- Hospital del
Mar). Other teams from Germany, Canada, Holland, Italy, the United Kingdom and Sweden have
participated as well, under the coordination of the CREAL–IMIM researchers. These
results have been recently published in the online edition of the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Certain previous epidemiological studies have
shown a risk of asthma amongst cleaning professionals. Nevertheless, no study had been
designed that was able to demonstrate this relation in the non-professional or domestic
cleaning setting. A total of 3,503 people were monitored in the European Community
Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) once the ethical committees from the 22 participating
health centres (from 10 different countries) accepted the study protocol. These
participants were men and women between the ages of 20 and 44 who were initially free of
asthma at the time they joined the study. They regularly cleaned their homes and accepted
the conditions of their participation in the study by signing the corresponding informed
consent document. The survey revealed that these participants regularly used up to fifteen
different types of cleaning products with various frequencies: daily; from one to three
days a week; once a week; or even less. Throughout the study, the presence of respiratory
illness was assessed through diagnosis, symptoms and the use of asthma treatments. The
researchers of this study have confirmed that “despite the fact that the use of
aerosol cleaners is related to a significant risk of developing asthma in adults, this
finding requires future research in order to identify the actual chemical composition
responsible for the sensitisation and the characteristic inflammatory reactions of the
induced respiratory effects in adults”.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=
readrelease&releaseid=521571&ez_search=1
Emory University researchers find
persistent and severe asthma associated with obesity
After analyzing results of a survey of more than 3,000 adults with asthma, researchers at
Emory Crawford Long Hospital have found that obese patients with asthma are more likely to
have severe asthma when compared to those who are not overweight.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/eu-eur051807.php
A Spreading Concern - Inhalational
Health Effects of Mold
Many new studies have provided additional evidence that mold likely deserves serious
attention. Fisk and Mudarri demonstrated in their June 2007 assessment that 21% of current
U.S. asthma cases may be attributable to dampness and mold in homes, with schools,
offices, and institutional buildings playing a similar unhealthy role. In a companion
meta-analysis of 33 studies also published in the June 2007 issue of Indoor Air, Fisk and
Berkeley Laboratory colleagues found that dampness and mold exposures increase the
occurrence of a range of respiratory problems by 30–50%.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/115-6/focus-abs.html
Childhood Asthma and Environmental
Interventions
Contaminants encountered in many households, such as environmental tobacco smoke, house
dust mite, cockroach, cat and dog dander, and mold, are risk factors in asthma. Young
children are a particularly vulnerable subpopulation for environmentally mediated asthma,
and the economic burden associated with this disease is substantial. Certain mechanical
interventions are effective both in reducing allergen loads in the home and in improving
asthmatic children's respiratory health.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/8989/8989.html
Cigarette use may explain asthma
epidemic in children, says Mailman School of Public Health study
The rise in cigarette use by adults over the past century may explain the asthma epidemic
in children. The prevalence of asthma has increased at least threefold during the past
several decades
http://www.mailmanschool.org/news/display.asp?id=546
Eating Apples and Fish During Pregnancy
May Protect Against Childhood Asthma and Allergies
Women who eat apples and fish during pregnancy may reduce the risk of their children
developing asthma or allergic disease, suggests a new study presented at the American
Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Sunday, May 20. The SEATON study,
conducted at the University of Aberdeen, UK, found that the children of mothers who ate
the most apples were less likely to ever have wheezed or have doctor-confirmed asthma at
the age of 5 years, compared to children of mothers who had the lowest apple consumption.
Children of mothers who ate fish once or more a week were less likely to have had eczema
than children of mothers who never ate fish. The study did not find any protective effect
against asthma or allergic diseases from many other foods, including vegetables, fruit
juice, citrus or kiwi fruit, whole grain products, fat from dairy products or margarine or
other low-fat spreads. The researchers studied 1212 children born to women who had filled
out food questionnaires during their pregnancy. When the children were 5 years old, the
mothers filled out a questionnaire about the children’s respiratory symptoms and
allergies, as well as a questionnaire about their child’s food consumption. The
children were also given lung function and allergy tests. Previous studies in the same
children have found evidence for protective effects of vitamin E and D and zinc during
pregnancy in reducing the risk of children’s wheeze and asthma, notes researcher
Saskia Willers, M.Sc. of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. If the new results are
confirmed, she says, “recommendations on dietary modification during pregnancy may
help to prevent childhood asthma and allergy.”
http://www.thoracic.org/sections/publications/press-releases/conference/articles/2007/
press-releases/eating-apples-and-fish-during-pregnancy-may-protect-
against-childhood-asthma-and-allergies.html
Asthma, Eczema And Rhinitis: A
Deleterious Strong Heritage
Over the past three decades, the prevalence of childhood asthma has increased
substantially. It has been hypothesised that environmental risk factors, such as parental
smoking, number of siblings, and air pollution, are responsible for this increase.
A study of the Dutch Twin Registry examined both environmental and genetic risk factors in
susceptibility to asthma, eczema, and rhinitis in a large group of children.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=64082&nfid=rssfeeds
Finnish study links child asthma with
structural dampness in buildings
A fresh study by the Environmental Health section of the National Public Health Institute
shows a strong link between asthma in children and dampness in the building structures of
the home. According to an article in the upcoming edition of the European Respiratory
Journal, at least one in ten, and possibly as many as one in five cases of asthma among
children are linked with water damage in the building.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finnish+study+links+child+asthma+with+
structural+dampness+in+buildings/1135225430479
Understanding Mechanisms Of Common Colds
In an article published today in the journal Allergy, experts in the Global Allergy and
Asthma European Network (GA²LEN) suggest that respiratory infections are a main trigger
of asthma attacks. Scientists now need to understand the differences between the response
to a common cold and air pollution in asthmatics compared with non-asthmatics patients
with a view to figure out mechanisms of asthma exacerbations.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=63992
Gene plus mom's smoking boosts child's
asthma risk
Smoking during pregnancy is known to raise a child's future asthma risk, but children with
a particular gene variation may be especially vulnerable, a study published Tuesday
suggests.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL76160020070227
Antioxidant-Rich Foods Including Nuts
and Vegetables Linked to Prevention of Allergy and Asthma Symptoms
Following the Mediterranean diet, one that is rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole
grains, may help protect against allergies and asthma, according to new research. [Ben
Licher]
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3008436&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Protecting Infants from Viral Infections
May Prevent Later Asthma
Protecting infants from viral infections may prevent the development of asthma late in
childhood, according to new research in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
(JACI). The study, “Early-life respiratory viral infections, atopic sensitization,
and risk of subsequent development of persistent asthma,” conducted by Merci M.H.
Kusel, MBBS, PhD, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western
Australia, and colleagues, can be found in the articles in press area of the JACI Web site
located at http://www.jacionline.org. The JACI is the peer-reviewed journal of the
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Researchers studied 198
children at high risk of atopy, from birth to five years. All episodes of acute
respiratory illness in the first year were recorded, and nasal aspirates were collected
for viral identification. History of wheeze and asthma was collected annually, and atopy
was assessed at six months, two years and five years.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/529179/
New campaign highlights rhinitis-asthma
link
Proof of the rhinitis-asthma link comes from epidemiological research surveys, basic
research studies and clinical trials. For example, epidemiological studies have revealed
that the two conditions often co-exist; around 80% of asthmatics have rhinitis and around
15-30% of rhinitis patients have asthma. Basic research has demonstrated that there are
many similarities in the inflammatory mechanisms involved in both conditions. Meanwhile
clinical research has shown that treating allergic rhinitis in asthmatics also improves
asthma symptoms and reduces hospitalisations.
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=27563
FDA Issues New Warning About Asthma Drug
Xolair
Citing reports of severe, potentially fatal allergic reactions, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has issued a new warning about omalizumab, an asthma drug marketed by
Genentech as Xolair. The agency has requested a “black box” warning be added to
the product’s label reflecting the risk of anaphylaxis.
http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/1450
Children With Asthma Most Affected by
Rhinovirus
New study finds evidence to support the link between the common cold and respiratory
infections such as pneumonia and acute bronchitis. The study also shows that the link
between rhinoviruses and hospitalizations is especially strong when children have a
history of wheezing or asthma.
http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=18585
Astma Child Mattress Emissions Generate
Concern
Over the past 50 years there has been a steady rise in the incidence of children
developing cancer and asthma. Logic and common sense would suggest that such a trend would
be the result of changes in environmental factors that are now affecting our children that
were not present previously. During this same 50 year period, consumer product
manufacturers have found production costs can be substantially cut if natural materials
are replaced with petroleum based alternatives made from synthetic chemicals.
http://www.chem-tox.com/beds/frame-beds.htm
Cleaning sprays present asthma risks
Frequent use of common household cleaning sprays may be an important risk factor for adult
asthma, according to recent European research. A total of 3,503 people, previously free of
asthma, were monitored in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). The
researchers found that the use of such cleaning sprays at least once a week was associated
with the incidence of asthma symptoms or medication in 42 per cent of participants.
http://www.irishmedicalnews.ie/articles.asp?Category=news&ArticleID=19137
Smoking in car 'doubles asthma risk for
kids'
CHILDREN exposed to cigarette smoke in cars are more than twice as likely as other kids to
develop asthma.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21403672-2,00.html
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
in cars increases the risk of persistent wheeze in adolescents
These data provide evidence that the community needs to be educated about the adverse
health consequences of ETS exposure in cars and suggest that health care professionals
should include such education in counselling sessions for families of children with
asthma. Teenagers can escape ETS exposure in the home, either by removing themselves or by
their parents smoking outside. However, children of this age and younger have no choice
but to travel with their parents in the car, especially given the phenomenon of “mum’s
taxi” transporting children to school and extracurricular activities. Smoke-free cars
are important for all children.
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/186_06_190307/letters_190307_fm-3.html
Warming bad for asthma
Global warming may be bad for asthma sufferers because of longer plant growing seasons and
signs that weeds scattering vast amounts of pollen are conquering new territory, experts
say.
http://maconareaonline.com/news.asp?id=16718
Salt mines help asthma patients
The high levels of humidity and sodium chloride in the mine also help speed the
regeneration of the mucous membranes, says Rzepecka.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22138600-24331,00.html
Obesity and magnesium deficiency may
increase asthma symptoms
The evidence suggests that the risk of asthma and the severity of its symptoms may be
increased by low intake of magnesium and overweight.
http://www.checkbiotech.org/orphan_News_treatmentandhealth.aspx?infoId=779
Large European-led study links regular
aerosol use and asthma
A large international study has detected a direct correlation between aerosol cleaners and
the incidence of asthma and other respiratory difficulties in adults. These findings are
the main results of a study coordinated by the Centre for Research in Environmental
Epidemiology and the Municipal Institute of Medical Research (Spain), with support from
centres in five European countries and Canada. Their findings were published in a recent
online edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. European
researchers make first home aerosol/asthma link. Through their research, the respiratory
experts were able to confirm that the use of aerosol-borne cleaning products at least once
a week can produce asthma symptoms in adults. They were also able to positively identify a
proportionate link between the two events. The more often aerosols such as glass cleaners
and air fresheners were used, incidence of respiratory difficulties increased. Conversely,
non-aerosol cleaning products were not associated with asthma symptoms.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/news/article_07_07_25_en.html
New discovery by EU-funded researchers
could lead to improved treatment of allergies and asthma
Researchers working in two EU-funded research projects have unravelled the structure of a
key enzyme that can trigger allergies and asthma. This breakthrough opens up the
possibility of the development of new drugs for treating these and other conditions which
are tailor-made for patients, making them more effective. The enzyme, termed LTC4
synthase, is part of the complex process that leads to the production of leukotrienes,
which cause allergic symptoms, and motors the inflammatory reaction which causes asthma
attacks. Some existing medicines block the effect of this enzyme, but only after the
process has taken place. Thanks to these latest findings, published today in the leading
scientific magazine Nature, scientists will now be able to tailor new molecules that block
LTC4 before it can act. The two projects, named EICOSANOX and E-MeP, are headed by
professors from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and one, EICOSANOX, has one
Nobel-Prize winning scientist in its team. Together, the two projects received EUR 20
million funding from the EU's Sixth Research Framework Programme.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/news/article_07_07_17_en.html
Karolinska Institutet researchers
describe enzyme linked to asthma
Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have described the structure of a human
membrane protein that is understood to have a major influence on the development of
asthma.
http://www.mednous.com/features_back.asp?id_feature=2
Hunger ’links asthma and obesity’
Now scientists at King’s College London say they have pinned down a protein which
contributes to inflammation of the lungs as well as increasing hunger.
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=115380
Nurses And Cleaners Among Highest Risk
Groups For Developing Occupational Asthma
Nurses are more than twice as likely as the general population to develop occupational
asthma, conclude authors of an Article published in this week’s edition of the
Lancet. Dr Manolis Kogevinas, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Municipal
Institute of Medical Research, Barcelona, Spain and colleagues also found that cleaners
were at a 71% higher risk of developing occupational-related asthma compared to the
general public, and that workplace conditions could be responsible for up to 25% of new
asthma cases in industrialised countries.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=readrelease&releaseid=522325&ez_search=1
Continual early exposure to dogs may
alleviate asthma
According to a presentation given during the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and
Immunology (AAAAI) meeting February 23-27 at the San Diego Convention Center, exposure to
dogs in infancy and early childhood is associated with reduced symptoms of asthma.
http://www.thevillagenews.com/story.asp?story_ID=21654
A Mighty product gives hope to Asthma
sufferers
A unique, new product which has been developed in the UK has been launched to help the
increasing numbers of people suffering with Asthma and other respiratory allergies. The
scientifically and clinically proven Dust Mite Controller is available from Tower Health,
a leading provider of innovative health products in the UK. It has been developed to
tackle the growing problems caused by the miniscule dust mite.
http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/pressrelease/646066/
Mighty-product-gives-hope-Asthma-sufferers/
Groundbreaking Canadian asthma study
Study shows that patients treated with bronchial thermoplasty, the first non-drug
treatment for asthma, demonstrated an overall improvement in asthma control.
http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=4609
House dust mite control measures for
asthma
Chemical and physical methods of reducing mite allergen levels seem to lack an effect in
people with asthma. The major allergen in house dust comes from mites. Chemical and
physical methods of reducing mite allergen levels are intended to reduce asthma symptoms
in people who are sensitive to house dust mites. The review did not find an effect of
control measures to reduce the exposure to mites or their products.
http://www.cochrane.dk/research/House%20dust%20mite%20control%20
measures%20for%20asthma%20(Cochrane%20review).pdf
Try Chinese herbs for asthma
Researchers are in the midst of conducting clinical trials with three Chinese herbs
(Ling-Zhi (Ganoderma lucidum), Ku-Shen (Radix Sophora flavescentis), and Gan Cao (Radix
Glycyrrhiza uralensis) to see if they improve lung function in asthmatics.
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=185608&SecID=2
Asthma Risk Higher For Infants Who Swim
Indoors
a new European study has found that infants who were regularly exposed to the chlorinated
air of indoor swimming pools were more at risk for developing asthma than were infants who
didn't swim indoors.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/asth/605184.html
Research demonstrates link between
domestic violence and asthma
The link between environmental exposures and asthma has been clearly described, but a new
study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health finds a strong association
between domestic violence and asthma. The study raises questions about the role of stress
in the development of this common respiratory condition.
http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/2007/040607/research_briefs.shtml#Subramanian
Could the Ability to Expel Worms Lead to
a Future Asthma Treatment?
Based on experiments with worms similar to those that infest millions of children in the
tropics, researchers see potential for a new way to treat asthma. Parasitic infections and
asthma may cause the human immune system to react in some of the same ways, and may one
day be cured by manipulating some of the same proteins, according to research published
today in the journal Science.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1329
Drop the Inhaler, Diet May be the
Key
Levin is a clinical nutritionist at Now Foods, a supplement company. He says diet can help
heal the lungs and reduce the need for medication.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/78309.aspx
The Effect of Perfume on Those with
Asthma
A study, done at the Louisiana State Medical Center, showed that even inhalation of
perfume from magazine inserts was a potential problem for asthma sufferers, despite the
difference between the chemical makeup of the airborne, atomized versions of the scents,
and the concentrated ones found in magazines. According to a study at Tulane University
the most potent fragrances for asthmatics were Red, Charlie, White Diamonds, Giorgio,
Opium, and Poison.
http://www.carefair.com/Fragrance/The_Effect_of_Perfume_1354.html
Health Risks of Perfumes
Most scented products now on the market, including perfume, are made up of synthetic
chemicals derived from ingredients such as coal tar and petroleum. When someone wears
perfume, they are essentially wearing these chemicals on their skin. As the chemicals
vaporize into the air, they can cause sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, breathing problems,
headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
http://www.carefair.com/Fragrance/Health_Risks_of_Perfumes_652.html
Asthmatic Risk Long After Cat
Allergen Exposure
For the first time, researchers have shown that cat allergens can impair lung function in
people with asthma for up to 22 hours after exposure. The study was presented today at the
annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"We studied cat allergen because it's an extra-fine particle that is both airborne
and capable of penetrating deep into the small airways of the lungs," said lead
author Jared W. Allen, Ph.D., researcher at David Geffen School of Medicine at the
University of California, Los Angeles.
Exposure to cat allergen is very common and can contribute significantly to morbidity in
the 15 million Americans with asthma. In many cases, the lung changes triggered by
allergen exposure do not produce symptoms but contribute to persistent inflammation in the
small airways that, if untreated, could lead to subsequent severe asthma attacks.
http://www2.rsna.org/pr/target.cfm?ID=264
Research Effort Targets Asthma and
Allergic Diseases
A new research alliance focuses on a molecular master switch suspected of igniting the
inflammatory immune response that drives asthma and other allergic diseases.
M. D. Anderson and Baylor College of Medicine have launched the Texas Medical Center
Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Center, funded by a $5.6 million
five-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the
National Institutes of Health.
“We can manage asthma, but there is no cure. Finding the cause of asthma is a
fundamental question in immunology,” says principal investigator Yong-Jun Liu, M.D.,
Ph.D., professor and chair of M. D. Anderson’s Department of Immunology. “The
molecule we are studying, known as TSLP, appears to represent a very, very early trigger
between allergens that find their way into the lungs and asthma.”
The incidence and severity of asthma, a debilitating and potentially life-threatening
constriction and inflammation of the airways, has increased over the past 20 years, with
more than 155 million people affected in developed countries alone.
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/newsroom/
Asthma Incidence Dramatically Increasing
Many researchers have looked at the growing number of childhood vaccines as a likely cause
of the rise in childhood asthma. Several clinical studies have confirmed an association
between vaccination and asthma. A team of New Zealand researchers followed 1,265 children
born in 1977. Of the children who were vaccinated, 23 percent had asthma episodes. A total
of 23 children did not receive the DTP vaccines, and none of them developed asthma (Kemp
et al., 1997). A study in Great Britain produced similar findings that associated asthma
with the pertussis vaccine. In that study, 243 children received the vaccine and 26 of
them later developed asthma (10.7 percent), compared to only 4 of the 203 children who had
never received the pertussis vaccine (2 percent). Additionally, of the 91 children who
received no vaccines at all, only one had asthma. Therefore, the risk of developing asthma
was about 1 percent in children receiving no vaccines and 11 percent for those children
who received vaccines, including pertussis (Odent et al., 1994). A third study was
conducted in the U.S. from data in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of
infants through adolescents aged 16. Data showed that children vaccinated with DTP or
tetanus were twice as likely to develop asthma, compared to unvaccinated children (Hurwitz
and Morgenstern, 2000).
http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-health/articles/155/1/Allergies-and-Asthma
Onverzadigd vet in margarine
verdubbelt kans op astma bij kinderen
Margarine linked to dramatic asthma rise
Campaigns to reduce heart disease by
promoting polyunsaturated margarines and cooking oils could be partly responsible for the
recent dramatic increase in childhood asthma in the developed world, say researchers in
Australia. They found that a diet high in polyunsaturated fats more than doubles a child's
risk of asthma.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1046
A new view of asthma's cause
A newly recognized type of immune cell may play an important role in causing asthma,
perhaps explaining why current therapies sometimes fail, report researchers from
Children's Hospital Boston in the March 16th New England Journal of Medicine. These immune
cells, known as natural-killer T cells (NKT cells), were found to be abundant in the lungs
of patients with asthma, but virtually absent in the lungs of healthy people, supporting
recent findings in mice showing a direct causative role for NKT cells.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/
Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel194.html
Asthma and Allergy Sufferers May Suffer
More in Their Own Homes
Asthma and allergies are a leading cause for missed days from school and work. This time
of year is particularly difficult for those who suffer from these problems. Many people
try to escape the problem by heading indoors; however, according to Environmental
Protection Agency studies, indoor air pollution may be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoors.
A University of Missouri-Columbia program is teaching people in Missouri how to combat the
problem by creating healthier homes.
http://munews.missouri.edu/NewsBureauSingleNews.cfm?newsid=4103
Immunotherapy Provides Long-Term
Asthma Protection
Specific immunotherapy produces very good
responses to treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. New studies
and a growing research database are continuously adding to the number of therapeutic
indications. At the 25th Congress of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical
Immunology (EAACI) in Vienna, Lars Jacobsen, Denmark, presented 10-year data on the
preventive benefit of specific immunotherapy (SIT) with intact allergens in asthma
sufferers.
One in three people with allergic rhinitis
goes on to develop asthma. This is because
the propensity for an allergic response spreads from the nose to the bronchial mucosa. WHO
and the ARIA initiative (Allergic Rhinitis and its impact on Asthma) therefore see
allergic rhinitis as a major chronic respiratory disease that requires systematic
treatment.
The Preventive Allergy Treatment (PAT)
study presented by Jacobsen treated children with hay fever due to a grass and/or birch
pollen allergy. The children in one group received purely symptomatic treatment while
those in the other group underwent three-year subcutaneous SIT. Asthma was an exclusion
criterion in both groups at the start of the study. The study was conducted with the
participation of sites in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Austria and Germany.
The multicenter PAT trial shows that causal
SIT with standardized functionally intact allergens prevents the development of asthma in
around half the population of children with hay fever. This preventive effect is enduring:
at 10-year follow-up, 24 out of 53 children - i.e. 45 percent - from the control group had
gone on to develop asthma. In the active treatment group, however, only 16 out of 64
children (25 percent) had developed asthma. The figures indicate that three-year SIT
provides long-term asthma prevention in at least one out of two children with allergic
rhinitis. "Specific immunotherapy is the only causal treatment option for people with
allergies. We now know that this treatment option also provides long-term protection
against asthma," Jacobsen said.
Patients undergoing subcutaneous SIT
receive regular injections of gradually
increasing doses of an allergen product under the skin. This increases the immune
system's tolerance to the allergens. SIT has reported response rates of up to 90 percent
in subjects with pollen allergy. SIT produces long-term symptom relief and patients need
fewer antiallergic drugs. In many cases, the immune system's allergic reactivity resolves
completely - and the patients are cured of their allergies.
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