Sex hormone ‘key’ trigger for asthma

The female sex hormone oestrogen plays a major role in asthma flare-ups, and not just in girls and women, according to WA research.
Asthma WA-funded studies show while most people believe smoke and pollen are the main triggers of asthma attacks, oestrogen also plays a key role.
Although oestrogen is considered a mostly female hormone, it is found in small amounts in men, just as women have small amounts of the male hormone testosterone.....

Read more here: thewest.com.au

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What is thunderstorm asthma? How does it relate to pollen allergy?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Rainy days typically mean relief from normal seasonal allergies as big drops clear out the atmosphere of particles. But thunderstorms may make those with an asthma response to outdoor pollen allergies worse, not better.
Although pollen.com says the count itself will significantly decline during periods of rain, according to a study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, thunderstorms can rupture pollen grain, releasing allergens and "ultimately increase the risk of asthma attacks".....

Read more here: cleveland.com

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GSK 'real world' drug test has second success in asthma

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline notched up a second win for its pioneering "real world" approach to testing new drugs on Friday as its inhaled medicine Breo proved significantly better than standard care in helping people with asthma. The success of the 4,233-patient trial, which tested Breo in day-to-day practice across the town of Salford in northern England, follows a similar win for the medicine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) a year ago.....

Read more here: whtc.com