The Asthma and Allergy Research Group at Dundee University have called for at least 1000 volunteers in the research for treatments for asthma and allergic conditions. This was announced on World Asthma Day.
World wide the number of people suffering from asthma has been estimated to be close to 300 million people. Childhood asthma cases have the highest prevalence rate in Scotland, which also has the third highest number of asthma cases in adults.The research team is presently working on several clinical trials in treatments for asthma, rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as bronchitis and emphysema.
According to Professor Brian Lipworth, lead researcher although they had over 700 volunteers in Tayside currently engaged in their clinical trials, there was a need for more as the research progressed. Some of its current trials includes the quick "breathalyser test" checks which have been offered to measure the amount of nitric oxide in exhaled breath. This in turn has been found to indicate the presence of asthma in a person
Professor Lipworth's group reports the growing evidence of many people suffering with undiagnosed asthma. They hope to both diagnose the condition as well as introduce new ways to treat it. The Professor has also said ‘In our research group we are developing new ways to measure and treat inflammation throughout the respiratory tract, from the nose right down to the smallest parts of the lungs.’
"This will hopefully enable us to treat asthma, rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease more effectively, reducing the long-term problems caused by these conditions. Untreated asthma leads to irreversible damage to the lungs, so the long-term effects can be severe."
