Saturday, September 22, 2012

Letter: No new insight on rise in asthma

The Sept. 17 Columbian Life cover story, "Those with asthma know shortness of breath is a serious issue," was correct in its title that asthma sufferers already know what they are dealing with, but offered no new relevant information to the public besides noting that asthma rates are on the rise. A giant cover picture of an albuterol inhaler and a brief rundown of what asthma is and how it is typically managed fell short in teaching us how to "Live Well," as the Monday edition of the Life section implies.....

Continue reading: columbian.com



Perceived stress linked to asthma, atopic disorders
(HealthDay)—Perceived stress correlates with an increased risk of adult-onset asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis as well as asthma medication use, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Allergy.

Read more at: medicalxpress.com



Asthma hospital stays preventable with home visits

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- National asthma and housing experts gathered at Case Western Reserve University today to pitch a plan that could drastically reduce childhood hospitalizations......

Full information at cleveland.com

Friday, September 21, 2012


Scientists Focus on Factors Behind Asthma Attacks
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Blocking two particular biological processes might help provide relief to people with asthma, according to a new study.....

Full information at health.usnews.com



Asthma: Boston Scientific wins new insurance codes for Alair system

Medical device titan Boston Scientific wins public and private insurance reimbursement codes for its Alair bronchial thermoplasty system in treatment of persistent asthma.....

Continue reading: massdevice.com



FDA approves asthma aerosol developed by Acton Pharmaceuticals

Marlborough-based Acton Pharmaceuticals announced Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its supplemental new drug application for Aerospan Inhalation Aerosol, an asthma treatment for patients 6 years of age and older.....

Source: boston.com

Thursday, September 20, 2012

School Refuses To Treat Student Suffering Asthma Attack Over Lack of Paperwork — Justified?

Parents of an 8-year-old student from Texas are claiming school officials did not give their son medical attention when he was suffering from an asthma attack. The reason? The teacher didn’t have the necessary paperwork authorized by his doctor and parents......

Information at theblaze.com



Asthma attack: The "heat” is on!

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. It causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. The inflammation can be trigged by a number of internal and external factors, but the exact cause is not known. The airways then swell and fill with mucus, making it difficult to breathe. Because asthma causes resistance, or obstruction, to exhaled air, it is called an obstructive lung disease......

Keep reading here: wftv.com




New Treatment Available for Nebraska Asthma Sufferers

Doctors at BryanLGH Medical Center are the first in Nebraska to perform an innovative new procedure for severe asthma patients called bronchial thermoplasty (BT). It is an outpatient procedure for adults whose asthma is not controlled with medications......

Continue reading at 1011now.com

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Asthma action plans help sufferers manage their conditions

When it comes to asthma, management is key.
Asthma experts coast to coast have long promoted the use of asthma action plans, or AAPs. The simple one-page, go-to information sheets provide asthma sufferers with help on how to manage their condition, particularly if symptoms seem to be worsening.

Information at vancouver.24hrs.ca



Asthma: Single Target, Double Blow

A recently identified calcium activated chloride channel (CaCC) in the airway surface epithelium and airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells of asthma patients could represent a target for reducing the excess mucus production and ASM hyperresponsiveness that characterize asthma attacks, researchers claim. Using transcription profiling of primary human cells, immunohistochemistry, and mouse models, a Howard Hughes Medical Institutes-led team has shown that epithelial expression of the CaCC TMEM16A is upregulated in asthma patients, and that blocking the channel using small molecule inhibitors negatively regulates mucin secretion and ASM contraction.....

Keep reading here: genengnews.com



Limiting medicine may not exacerbate asthma

ASTHMA Limiting inhaler usage may not result in flareups, symptoms
People with mild but persistent asthma may manage just as well by turning to their inhalers only when they have symptoms as those who use a low-dose inhaled steroid every day, according to a study by UCSF researchers.

Read more: sfgate.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Hope on the Horizon for Asthma Sufferers

A new study that identifies ways to reduce the factors that lead to an asthma attack gives hope to asthma sufferers. A UCSF researcher and his colleagues believe they have found a way to help asthma sufferers by impeding the two most significant biological responses that lead to an asthma attack.....

Information at ucsf.edu



Little Difference Seen in Asthma Strategies

There has been no general agreement on the best way to adjust the dosage of inhaled corticosteroids used by adults with asthma. Doctors determine the dose by assessing symptoms like lung function or by using biomarkers like exhaled nitric oxide, or they simply let patients decide how much is needed.....

Keep reading here: well.blogs.nytimes.com



New treatment to curb asthma attacks

NEW YORK (WABC) -- 60 million people suffer from allergies and asthma. There's no cure, but now doctors have a new weapon to help these people attack the annoying symptoms......

Continue reading at abclocal.go.com

Monday, September 17, 2012

Asthma link to mental health risk

A new study has found that young children with severe or persistent asthma are at higher risk of developing many common mental health problems......

Continue reading: sciencealert.com.au



Now, asthma inhaler that 'cuts attacks by a fifth'

Scientists have developed a new drug which they say can reduce the number of asthma attacks by more than 20 per cent, even in patients with severe form of the disease.

Keep reading at indianexpress.com



Childhood Asthma Linked to Mental Health Problems

Young children with asthma run a greater risk of developing mental health problems in later life, researchers from the University of Western Australia and Columbia University have found......

Information at ibtimes.co.uk

Sunday, September 16, 2012

How could a virus increase the risk of asthma?

Washington.Viral infections in newborns "cripple" part of the immune system and increase the risk of asthma later in life, US researchers studying mice have said.They showed infections by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) stripped immune cells of their ability to calm down inflammation in the lung's airways.....

Read full article at thecitizen.co.tz



Camp For Children With Asthma Had Good Year Thanks To Helpers

The Max and Lorraine Foundation and the American Lung Association would like to express their deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all the volunteers who gave their time to make it possible for 46 children to enjoy the camping experience for the 14th year in a row.....

Keep reading at pennlive.com



New asthma resources for Ayrshire teachers

NORTH Ayrshire teachers will get resources to support two in every classroom with asthma.
The brand new teaching resource has been developed to improve the health and well-being of pupils in North Ayrshire with Scotland’s most common long-term condition - asthma.....

Information at irvineherald.co.uk