http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Asthma-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:20:10 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/study-links-asthma-medication-with-heart-arrhythmias-in-children-young-adults-101625-1.htm Use of inhaled anticholinergics (IACs) is linked with an increased risk of potentially dangerous heart arrhythmias among young asthma patients, revealed a study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The medications are commonly used to help control asthma flare-ups, and recent studies have shown them be an effective treatment option for routine asthma management. The study will be presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference in San Francisco. "In our study, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-links-asthma-medication-with-heart-arrhythmias-in-children-young-adults-101625-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/exacerbation-prone-asthma-phenotypes-risk-aspects-101559-1.htm Numerous specific risk factors are linked to an exacerbation-prone phenotype of severe asthma, states a new study from researchers in Sweden. The results will be presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference in San Francisco. "Acute exacerbations are a major source of morbidity and mortality in asthma," said lead author Maciek Kupczyk, MD, PhD, a researcher at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm "In children, the costs of asthma care are three times higher in exacerbators as compared ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/exacerbation-prone-asthma-phenotypes-risk-aspects-101559-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/exercise-may-reduce-asthma-risk-101549-1.htm Exercising could cut the risk of asthma symptoms and attacks, reveals study. Many people with asthma report avoiding exercise because they're afraid it could trigger symptoms including shortness of breath, wheezing or a full-blown asthma attack, said review author Kristin V. Carson. These fears might be encouraged from misreading their symptoms, their family's beliefs about exercise and asthma, or even from their physicians Over time, Carson explained, patients can become out of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/exercise-may-reduce-asthma-risk-101549-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/review-icu-stays-for-worst-asthma-drop-74-percent-101198-1.htm Annual ICU admissions for life-threatening asthma have dropped 74 percent, a review of 30 years of cases in a San Antonio intensive care unit has found. The study, by UT Medicine San Antonio physicians who reviewed cases at University Hospital between 1980 and 2010, also showed intubation in the emergency department to help patients breathe did not result in longer hospital stays. UT Medicine is the clinical practice of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/review-icu-stays-for-worst-asthma-drop-74-percent-101198-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/relationship-between-asthma-and-obesity-101158-1.htm Mary Helen et al conducted a study to determine the association of asthma and obesity in children of different race and ethnicity. A population based cross sectional study was done to measure height-weight and their medical records were studied to find out the occurrence of asthma in adolescents and children in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California integrated health plan from 2007 to 2009. About 681,122 respondents aged between 6-19 years were enrolled in the study. It ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/relationship-between-asthma-and-obesity-101158-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/allergies-and-asthma-probably-aggravated-by-biodiversity-loss-101066-1.htm Deteriorating biodiversity could be lending to the rise of asthma, allergies, and other chronic inflammatory diseases with people living in cities worldwide, suggests a Finnish study. Emerging evidence indicates that commensal microbes inhabiting the skin, airway, and gut protect against inflammatory disorders. However, little is known about the environmental determinants of the microbiome. Ilkka Hanski et al. from the Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, investigated whether ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/allergies-and-asthma-probably-aggravated-by-biodiversity-loss-101066-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cell-critical-to-treatment-resistant-asthma-identified-101033-1.htm In mice, a new type of cell that appears to be crucial to causing asthma symptoms has been discovered by U-M scientists. The researchers call the new cell type T2M, for type 2 myeloid - reflecting its origin in the bone marrow and its involvement in the "type 2" immune response that causes asthma symptoms. In the lungs, T2M cells were shown to receive specific distress signals sent out by cells in the lung lining - and to produce molecules that lead to more inflammation. The role ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cell-critical-to-treatment-resistant-asthma-identified-101033-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/passive-smoking-worsens-asthma-in-kids-study-100807-1.htm Many asthmatic children harmed by secondhand smoke, reveals study. Results showed that 53 percent of children exposed to passive smoking were likely to make three or more visits to a physician or emergency department due to wheezing in the past year; sleep disturbed by wheezing one or more nights per week and restricted activity due to wheezing. "National asthma guidelines have advised avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS-passive smoking) for patients with asthma for decades, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/passive-smoking-worsens-asthma-in-kids-study-100807-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/world-asthma-day-2012-100707-1.htm World asthma day 2012 (WAD) falls on May 1supst/sup. The theme for 2012 is "bYou Can Control Your Asthma"./b The day is sponsored by the global initiative for asthma (bGINA/b) as an effort to lay emphasis on controlling this chronic disease, bring about greater co-operation between health care groups and health care educators and, to provide better care for asthma patients. Various activities ranging from bill boards and stickers to music concerts and health fair will ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/world-asthma-day-2012-100707-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/athletes-long-term-health-at-risk-as-they-do-not-use-best-treatment-for-asthma-100577-1.htm A report published in the British Medical Journal states that a number of athletes may be putting their long term health at risk by not opting for the best treatment available to treating asthma. The article will feature on the iBMJ/i's new Olympics portal, an online resource to keep doctors up to date with sports medicine content from across the iBMJ/i Group. The portal will be open until the end of the Olympic and Para-Olympic games at a href="http:www.bmj.com/olympics"www.bmj.com/olympics/a....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/athletes-long-term-health-at-risk-as-they-do-not-use-best-treatment-for-asthma-100577-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-asthma-treatment-improves-wait-time-in-emergency-department-99885-1.htm Administration of oral steroids to asthma patients reduced wait time and improved patient care, reveals study published in Pediatrics. Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children requiring a visit to Emergency. Every year, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) sees more than 2,500 patients with asthma. Two thirds of these asthma patients present with more than mild symptoms, meaning they have respiratory distress requiring increased levels of care, which may include requiring overnight admission to the hospital....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-asthma-treatment-improves-wait-time-in-emergency-department-99885-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/observation-kids-with-lung-function-deficits-as-neonates-develop-asthma-99602-1.htm Kids who develop asthma by age seven have inadequacies in lung function and augmented bronchial responsiveness as neonates, suggests a new study from researchers in Denmark. "Previous research on the relationship between neonatal lung function and the development of asthma has been conflicting," said lead author Hans Bisgaard, MD, DMSci, professor of pediatrics at the University of Copenhagen and head of the Danish Pediatric Asthma Centre. "Our study shows that children with asthma by age seven ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/observation-kids-with-lung-function-deficits-as-neonates-develop-asthma-99602-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/reduced-use-of-asthma-medications-by-children-linked-to-greater-medication-cost-sharing-99535-1.htm A study in the March 28 issue of JAMA has revealed that small reductions in medication use and more frequent asthma-related hospitalizations were linked to greater out-of-pocket asthma medication cost among children aged 5 years or older. "In recent years, private health plans have attempted to contain medication costs by shifting costs toward patients. Among adults, greater patient medication cost sharing has been associated with reduced medication use and increases in emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/reduced-use-of-asthma-medications-by-children-linked-to-greater-medication-cost-sharing-99535-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/air-pollution-helps-explain-childhood-asthma-hot-spots-99409-1.htm Neighborhood differences in rates of childhood asthma may be explained by varying levels of air pollution, reveals study published in the iJournal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology/i. In New York City, where the study was conducted, asthma among school-age children ranges from a low of 3% to a high of 19% depending on the neighborhood, and even children growing up within walking distance of each other can have 2- to 3-fold differences in risk for asthma. Helping explain ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/air-pollution-helps-explain-childhood-asthma-hot-spots-99409-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/fat-hormone-linked-to-asthma-risk-in-women-99240-1.htm Low serum levels of adiponectin could help predict future risk of asthma in women - especially if they smoke, an Indian origin scientist has revealed. Akshay Sood, MD, MPH, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, is the lead author of paper describing the finding. "Adiposity is known to be related to asthma. Although a causal link between adiponectin (a protein produced by adipose ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/fat-hormone-linked-to-asthma-risk-in-women-99240-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/doctor-uses-wiki-to-help-patients-develop-asthma-action-plans-99080-1.htm The plans to tackle the growing scrounge of asthma are innovative indeed. Imagine that you have asthma, and rather than give you a set of instructions about what to do if you have an attack, your doctor invites you to help write them? Would that make patients feel more engaged and empowered in managing their health care, and would that ultimately make them happier if not healthier? These questions are being raised by Dr. Samir Gupta, a respirologist at St. Michael's Hospital. His ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/doctor-uses-wiki-to-help-patients-develop-asthma-action-plans-99080-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/exposure-to-antibiotics-raise-allergic-asthma-in-early-life-98897-1.htm A study by University of British Columbia has found that exposure to antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life. The study, published today in the journal iEMBO reports/i, shows that certain antibiotics that affect intestinal bacteria also had a profound impact on allergic asthma. "It has long been suspected that kids exposed to more antibiotics - like those in developed countries - are more prone to allergic asthma," says the study's author, UBC microbiologist Brett Finlay....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/exposure-to-antibiotics-raise-allergic-asthma-in-early-life-98897-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/asthma-outcome-measures-issued-by-nih-98400-1.htm The Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) has said that newly proposed asthma outcome measures will help standardize and improve results from the hundreds of millions of dollars the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spends annually to study asthma. MCAN is the nation's only organization focused solely on childhood asthma. Even though years of research have led to groundbreaking improvements in better understanding and managing asthma, MCAN noted that the inability to compare results ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/asthma-outcome-measures-issued-by-nih-98400-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-molecule-brings-hope-in-the-battle-against-allergies-and-asthma-97849-1.htm Scientists have found a new molecule which plays a key role in the battle against the body's allergic response to house dust mite. The University of Nottingham's discovery shed light on how the body's immune system identifies and reacts to allergens, which could ultimately pave the way for developing new therapies or treatments for preventing allergies. The molecule DC-SIGN, identified by a team of immunologists led by Dr Amir Ghaem-Maghami and Professor Farouk Shakib in the University's ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-molecule-brings-hope-in-the-battle-against-allergies-and-asthma-97849-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/home-visits-for-asthma-cut-hospitalizations-97822-1.htm Home visits for asthma patients dramatically reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits, reveals study. A study reporting these outcomes and cost savings appears in the March 2012 iPediatrics/i (published online February 20). The CAI is a community-based asthma care model targeting low-income families. It includes nurse case management and care coordination combined with home visits by a bilingual nurse or Community Health Worker to educate families about asthma, assess ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/home-visits-for-asthma-cut-hospitalizations-97822-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/breastfeeding-reduces-wheezing-problems-in-babies-97451-1.htm Researchers from the Otago University in New Zealand have found that breastfeeding babies instead of using milk formula protects them from asthma and other wheezing problems until the age of six years. The researchers analyzed data regarding asthma and wheezing in more than 1,100 children from the time they were two years of age up to six years and found that the risk of asthma was reduced by more than 59 percent among children who had been breastfed. Lead researcher Dr Karen Silvers said that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/breastfeeding-reduces-wheezing-problems-in-babies-97451-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gulping-huge-quantity-of-soft-drinks-linked-to-asthma-and-copd-97327-1.htm High level of soft drink consumption is connected with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), latest study published in the journal iRespirology/i. Led by Zumin Shi, MD, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, researchers conducted computer assisted telephone interviewing among 16,907 participants aged 16 years and older in South Australia between March 2008 and June 2010 inquiring about soft drink consumption. Soft drinks comprised Coke, lemonade, flavored mineral water, Powerade, and Gatorade etc....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gulping-huge-quantity-of-soft-drinks-linked-to-asthma-and-copd-97327-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/breastfeeding-linked-with-lesser-risk-of-asthma-and-stronger-lungs-97071-1.htm Breastfeeding led to better lung function in children at school age, especially in children of mothers with asthma. The researchers believe breastfeeding might directly be related to lung growth. This new finding is contrary to the earlier studies which suggest that breastfeeding might be harmful in children of asthmatic mothers.Study researchers Claudia E. Kuehni, from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bern studied about 1,458 children born between 1993 and 1997 in the United Kingdom....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/breastfeeding-linked-with-lesser-risk-of-asthma-and-stronger-lungs-97071-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/pill-made-from-dust-mites-may-offer-relief-from-asthma-97029-1.htm A pill made from a protein found in dust mites could revolutionize asthma treatment, according to a research. According to the Daily Mail, the pill works by re-tuning the immune system in asthmatics so it does not overreact when a person is exposed to mite droppings, which are one of the leading causes of asthma attacks. Dust mite droppings typically prompt the immune system to produce antibodies, which cause a large-scale release of the chemical histamine. Histamine, in turn, causes irritation ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/pill-made-from-dust-mites-may-offer-relief-from-asthma-97029-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-environmental-bacteria-and-asthma-96977-1.htm An allergic reaction to a common environmental bacteria causes biasthma/i/b, suggests research. Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California in San Francisco have found a link between common environmental bacteria and airway inflammation. Specifically, their research suggests that some strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cause white blood cells to produce very high levels of histamine, which in turn leads to inflammation, a hallmark symptom of asthma....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-environmental-bacteria-and-asthma-96977-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/online-test-to-educate-asthma-patients-on-prevention-of-serious-attacks-96956-1.htm A charity organization in Britain is launching an online test to educate asthma patients on how to reduce their risk of a serious asthma attack. Known as Triple A: Avoid Asthma Attacks, the test has been developed by Asthma UK and also allows people to check how much of a risk they have of suffering from a serious asthma attack. The charity organization said that more than 75 percent of asthma-related emergency hospital admissions can be avoided. "The test is designed to make people take notice ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/online-test-to-educate-asthma-patients-on-prevention-of-serious-attacks-96956-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/acid-reflux-drug-does-not-offer-substantial-benefits-in-childhood-asthma-96627-1.htm It is well-known that asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are both common childhood illnesses. GER in children often occurs without the typical symptoms of heartburn, and physicians frequently prescribe the acid reflux drug lansoprazole to supplement the standard inhaled steroid treatment for children with uncontrolled asthma regardless of GER symptoms. However, a randomized clinic trial conducted by the American Lung Association''s Asthma Clinical Group found that the addition of lansoprazole ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/acid-reflux-drug-does-not-offer-substantial-benefits-in-childhood-asthma-96627-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Risk-of-Asthma-High-in-Babies-Who-Grow-Early-96422-1.htm A new study by Dutch researchers has revealed that babies who grow rapidly in the initial 90 days of life have a high risk of developing asthma. Researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam examined the growth of 5,125 babies. The babies were followed up yearly and researchers questioned their parents on the development of symptoms that could indicate the risk of future asthma. They found that "accelerated weight gain" in the first three months of life increased the chances of the baby developing wheezing....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Risk-of-Asthma-High-in-Babies-Who-Grow-Early-96422-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Relationship-Between-Delivery-Method-and-Asthma-Risk-96013-1.htm C-section babies have an increased risk of developing asthma at the age of three, suggest researchers. This was particularly seen among children without a hereditary tendency to asthma and allergies, according to the study from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Data from more than 37 000 participants in the MoBa study were used to study the relationship between delivery method and the development of lower respiratory tract infections, wheezing and asthma in the first three years of life....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Relationship-Between-Delivery-Method-and-Asthma-Risk-96013-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Novel-Combination-Therapy-For-Asthma-Found-To-Be-Safe-And-Fast-Acting-95969-1.htm The novel fixed-dose drug combination of mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate (MF/F) may have the same efficacy as that of the commonly prescribed fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FP/S) combination in the treatment of asthma. MF/F has a quicker onset of action compared with FP/S. bAsthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes the airways to swell and narrow. It /bbresults in recurrent coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and breathlessness. /bMore than 300 million ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Novel-Combination-Therapy-For-Asthma-Found-To-Be-Safe-And-Fast-Acting-95969-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Massive-Subgroup-of-Mild-To-Moderate-Asthma-Is-Persistently-Non-Eosinophilic-95827-1.htm Prominent percentage of patients with mild-to-moderate asthma has persistently non-eosinophilic disease which may not respond to anti-inflammatory treatments available now, states a new study. In a cross-sectional study of 995 asthmatic subjects enrolled in nine clinical trials conducted by the NHLBI''s Asthma Clinical Research Network, sputum eosinophilia (a2% eosinophils) was found in only 36% of asthmatics not using an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and 17% of those using an ICS. Among patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Massive-Subgroup-of-Mild-To-Moderate-Asthma-Is-Persistently-Non-Eosinophilic-95827-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Cockroach-Allergens-Cause-Aggravation-of-Asthma-95675-1.htm Cockroach allergens may play key role in the development of the asthma epidemic. Mucosal exposure to allergens leads to development of allergic sensitization. This may cause the development of asthma, which is characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Researchers studied the allergic effect of cockroach extracts in mice. bIt was found that exposure of mucosa (mucus secreting inner linings) to cockroach extract induces allergic reactions even in the absence of adjuvants. /b ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Cockroach-Allergens-Cause-Aggravation-of-Asthma-95675-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Researchers-to-Study-Genetics-of-Asthma-Among-Blacks-95509-1.htm A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins have embarked on a four-year effort to map the genetic code for asthma of 1,000 people of African descent, including men and women from Baltimore. Researchers say their initial goal is to find genetic variations underlying asthma and to explain why the disease disproportionately afflicts blacks. As much as 20 percent of African-Americans have asthma, a disease often associated with allergies and marked by difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Researchers-to-Study-Genetics-of-Asthma-Among-Blacks-95509-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-Risk-Lowers-If-the-Overweight-Kids-Lose-Weight-95158-1.htm Overweight preschoolers have a grater risk to develop asthma by the time they are 7-years old, but losing weight early on may counter this risk, according to researchers at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.Following the study of 2,000 Swedish children researchers found that children who were overweight at ages 1, 1.5, 4 and 7 were up to twice as likely to have asthma by age 8 as normal-weight children. However, overweight children who reached a normal weight by age 7 were no more likely to have asthma by the time they turned 8....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-Risk-Lowers-If-the-Overweight-Kids-Lose-Weight-95158-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-Drugs-During-Pregnancy-May-Be-Risky-for-Kids-94896-1.htm Women who use inhaled glucocorticoids for the treatment of asthma during pregnancy may not increase disease risk in offspring, but may increase the risk of developing endocrine and metabolic disturbances, according to a new study. In a population-based cohort study, 65,085 mother-child pairs from the Danish National Birth Cohort were followed up in real time from early pregnancy into childhood. "Maternal use of inhaled glucocorticoids for asthma during pregnancy was not related to an increased ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-Drugs-During-Pregnancy-May-Be-Risky-for-Kids-94896-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Proper-Medication-Use-Could-Reduce-Severe-Asthma-Attacks-94751-1.htm Severe asthma attacks can be prevented as long as people take medicines, suggests study. Moreover, an asthma attack was only significantly reduced when patients used at least 75 percent of their prescribed dose, according to the study. Patients often poorly take their medication based on the onset and degree of symptoms. Henry Ford researchers have said that this is the first time that asthma medication use has been tracked closely over time and related to the likelihood of severe asthma attacks....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Proper-Medication-Use-Could-Reduce-Severe-Asthma-Attacks-94751-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Twin-Tower-Rescue-Workers-Hit-By-Asthma-94279-1.htm Twin tower rescue workers seem to be hit by asthma - incidence among them being twice the rate of the general US population, a study shows. The findings have been published in The American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Past studies have documented high rates of asthma symptoms among WTC responders. However, a comparison of these increased rates of asthma among responders to the general population has never been done before. "This is the first study to directly quantify the magnitude of asthma ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Twin-Tower-Rescue-Workers-Hit-By-Asthma-94279-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Airsonetts-Asthma-Device-Protexo-Improves-Quality-of-Life-in-Asthma-Patients-94069-1.htm A new study published in the journal Thorax has revealed that Swedish clinical air flow technology developer, Airsonett's asthma device, Protexo provides a higher quality of life for asthma patients when compared to placebo. Protexo is a temperature controlled laminar air-flow device (TLA) , which creates a downward flow of filtered air. This air then surrounds the breathing zone of the sleeping asthma patients and protects them from allergens and irritants. The study was based on a trial carried ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Airsonetts-Asthma-Device-Protexo-Improves-Quality-of-Life-in-Asthma-Patients-94069-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Simple-Device-Eases-Asthma-Symptoms-93836-1.htm A simple night time device that displaces warmer air containing irritants and allergens such as dust mites and pet hairs can ease persistent symptoms of asthma condition during the day and thereby improves quality of life, suggests research published online in iThorax/i. Temperature controlled laminar airflow treatment, or TLA for short, delivers a constant, slightly cooled airflow in the patient's breathing area. The aim is to stave off the abnormal immune response that triggers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Simple-Device-Eases-Asthma-Symptoms-93836-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-may-be-Worsened-by-Cholesterol-Lowering-Drugs-93096-1.htm A new study has revealed that cholesterol-lowering medications help in fighting heart disease, but may increase severity of asthma. For preliminary research, Safa Nsouli and his team from of Danville Asthma and Allergy Clinic, Calif, compared 20 patients with asthma taking prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication or statins, to 20 patients with asthma who did not take the drugs. They found that the patients taking statins had more airway inflammatory obstruction at three, six and 12 months as compared to those not on statins....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-may-be-Worsened-by-Cholesterol-Lowering-Drugs-93096-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Acetaminophen-Worsens-Asthma-Symptoms-93081-1.htm Acetaminophen has been linked to worsen asthma symptoms in children and adults. Consumption of acetaminophen could also lead to new asthma cases. Researcher John T. McBride, M.D., from the Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown found that that the risk of developing asthma rose by 60% in 6-7years old children and by 40% in 13-14year old teenagers who had taken the medicine at least once a year but less than once a month. This risk was more than tripled in children and doubled in teenagers who took it at least once a month....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Acetaminophen-Worsens-Asthma-Symptoms-93081-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Thunderstorms-can-Trigger-Asthma-93067-1.htm Doctors in Melbourne have issued a word of caution about the deadly combination of increased pollen levels and high winter rainfall which can trigger asthma in allergy prone victims. Experts from Austin Health have warned that severe asthma attacks can result from a combination of high winter rainfall and high pollen levels in the Victorian capital especially if thunderstorms come up during this spring and summer. Asthma victims who are sensitive to pollen and prone to allergies should know that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Thunderstorms-can-Trigger-Asthma-93067-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-Shows-Drop-in-Asthma-Rates-in-Australia-92158-1.htm A recent report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Asthma in Australia 2011 - has found a marked drop in asthma cases in the past 10 years. The most significant drop occurred in people between the ages of 10 and 14. There was not much change in asthma rates in people above the age of 35. Research also showed that people hailing from poorer backgrounds were at a higher risk of suffering from asthma. This scenario calls for more effort in asthma management with focus on preventative measures....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-Shows-Drop-in-Asthma-Rates-in-Australia-92158-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Obesity-During-Pregnancy-Increases-Asthma-Risk-in-Offspring-91805-1.htm Babies born to women who were obese during pregnancy have a higher risk of suffering from asthma, according to a new study conducted in Sweden. A group of Australian and Swedish researchers polled more than 129,000 mothers and 189,000 children in Stockholm and found that the children of those women who had a body mass index of over 35 when they were pregnant were 61 percent more likely to suffer from asthma. "We found that there was a clear increased risk of childhood asthma, medication use and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Obesity-During-Pregnancy-Increases-Asthma-Risk-in-Offspring-91805-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-Care-Measure-Questioned-91540-1.htm A recent research shows that quality of discharge planning had no effect on the readmission rates for asthma patients. The findings have been published in October's iJournal of the American Medical Association/i (JAMA). Asthma is the leading cause of admissions in children's hospitals. To help provide the best care, the Joint Commission, a non-profit that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations programs nationwide, adopted three core process measures for evaluating how hospitals treat childhood asthma....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-Care-Measure-Questioned-91540-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-is-One-of-the-Risks-for-Those-Living-Near-Livestock-Farms-91295-1.htm A recent insight has found that people living near livestock farms are exposing themselves to certain health risks like asthma. The researchers, from Utrecht University, measured increased levels of particulate matter containing microbes and microbial toxins near livestock farms. They studied health effects by screening medical records from 50 general practitioners servicing 200,000 patients in regions with high and low densities of livestock farms. In regions with many livestock farms, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-is-One-of-the-Risks-for-Those-Living-Near-Livestock-Farms-91295-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Swine-Flu-Death-Rate-Low-in-People-Hospitalized-With-Asthma-91280-1.htm New research indicates that people with asthma who are admitted to hospital with pandemic influenza H1N1 (swine flu) are half as likely to die or require intensive care than those without asthma. The study, which will be presented today (26 September 2011) at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam, found that, despite asthma being among the commonest illnesses seen in patients admitted to hospital with H1N1, people with the condition had less severe outcomes. In ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Swine-Flu-Death-Rate-Low-in-People-Hospitalized-With-Asthma-91280-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/HRT-Therapy-Could-Cause-Severe-Asthma-Attacks-91254-1.htm Hormone replacement therapy could increase a woman's risk of having severe asthma attacks, warn scientists. A new study, which will be presented today (27 September 2011) at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam, adds to the debate over the health effects of the drug which helps women through the menopause. Previous studies have found a link between asthma and HRT, but this is the first to suggest that the drug can lead to severe exacerbations of asthma, which could lead to hospitalisation....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/HRT-Therapy-Could-Cause-Severe-Asthma-Attacks-91254-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-can-Make-Pediatric-Diabetes-Care-Difficult-91203-1.htm Children who are victims of both asthma as well as diabetes have a difficult time controlling their blood sugar, according to a recent study, though this is an area which needs to be studied further. The new study found that 11 percent children who are victims of diabetes also suffer from asthma. Most children are victims of Type 1 diabetes, although Type 2 is also becoming common among children. "Among youth with type 1 diabetes, asthma is associated with poor glycemic control, especially if asthma is untreated," researchers said....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asthma-can-Make-Pediatric-Diabetes-Care-Difficult-91203-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Work-Environment-of-Pregnant-Mums-can-Up-Asthma-Risk-in-Children-91202-1.htm Work triggered asthma is a reality for pregnant women, putting the children under grave risk of breathing problems, a new study reveals. This is especially so when pregnant women are exposed to certain substances in their work environment which can increase the risk of asthma in their unborn children. During their study, researchers studied the health of 43,000 seven year old children and analyzed the work environment of the women when they were pregnant. Women whose work involved shoes, glues, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Work-Environment-of-Pregnant-Mums-can-Up-Asthma-Risk-in-Children-91202-1.htm