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April 24, 2007

Stomach Bacterium May Thwart Asthma

h.pyloriApril 23, 2007 -- A stomach bacterium that causes ulcers and is linked to stomach cancer may make asthma less likely.

That news appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The bacterium is called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). It is associated with ulcers and increased risk of stomach cancer.

H. pylori is found worldwide, but it's more common in developing countries, note Yu Chen, PhD, MPH, and Martin Blaser, MD.

Continue reading "Stomach Bacterium May Thwart Asthma" »

Inflammation, Asthma, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

tnf alpha diagramby Erwin W. Gelfand, MD

Patients with severe and refractory asthma suffer from numerous complications, fatal disease, and utilize a large proportion of healthcare resources. Treatment options are certainly limited, and it is unclear what underlies their refractoriness to conventional therapy. Whether they are "resistant" to therapy with glucocorticoids or the pathophysiologic pathways involved in their disease are not sensitive to glucocorticoids is unclear at present.

Some phenotypic differences in patients with refractory asthma have emerged, such as a greater involvement of neutrophils, but the relevance of these data are not clear. Among the candidates identified as perhaps playing a role in refractory asthma is tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine that is expressed in mast cells[1] and is present in higher concentrations in bronchoalveolar fluid from patients with asthma, particularly in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with more severe asthma.[2]

Continue reading "Inflammation, Asthma, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha" »

March 8, 2007

Baking Soda Helps Kids During Severe Asthma Attack

asthma

An intravenous infusion of a solution of sodium bicarbonate -- better known as baking soda -- reduces respiratory distress and excessive acidity of body fluids in children with a life-threatening asthma flare-up, according to a report from the Netherlands.

High blood acidity, or acidosis, causes the heart to contract less strongly, reduces the effectiveness of beta-agonist bronchodilators used to treat asthma, and may stimulate rapid, shallow breathing, Dr. Corinne M. P. Buysse and her colleagues point out in the medical journal Chest.

They explain that treatment with sodium bicarbonate has been shown to relieve bronchial spasm and restore the response to bronchodilators. However, doctors have avoided the use of intravenous sodium bicarbonate for fear of increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Continue reading "Baking Soda Helps Kids During Severe Asthma Attack" »

March 1, 2007

Gene find could be end of the asthma inhaler

inhalerScientists have identified a gene that could lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of asthma, with tablets replacing steroid inhalers.

As a result of work carried out at Dundee University, researchers believe that drugs currently used to treat diabetes could be adapted to control acute asthma attacks.

Until now asthma treatments have been dominated by steroid therapies which can often have serious side effects.

Continue reading "Gene find could be end of the asthma inhaler" »

What Is Known About Asthma In Africa?

asthmaA study led by Adnan Custovic from the University of Manchester analyzing two surveys ten years apart (1993 and 2003) among 9-16 yr old schoolchildren attending urban and rural schools in Ghana showed that the prevalence of both exercise-induced bronchospasm and atopy had approximately doubled over the period.

A related essay puts this survey into context through a discussion of the epidemiology of asthma in Africa.

Citation: Addo-Yobo EOD, Woodcock A, Allotey A, Baffoe-Bonnie B, Strachan D, et al. (2007) Exercise-induced bronchospasm and atopy in Ghana: Two surveys ten years apart. PLoS Med 4(2): e70.

Continue reading "What Is Known About Asthma In Africa?" »

February 27, 2007

Cows' milk can protect against asthma

asthmaChildren who start drinking fresh milk from the farm early on are less likely to develop allergies when they are of school age, according to Swiss scientists.

But why more people are suffering allergies remains unclear, say researchers at Basel University, who have begun a study involving more than 14,000 children.

Cows' milk as food for infants has a bad reputation. From a nutritional perspective it does not fulfil the dietary requirements of babies, and children who are fed only cows' milk for too long often suffer an iron deficiency.

Continue reading "Cows' milk can protect against asthma" »

Finnish study links child asthma with structural dampness in buildings

childhood asthma 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.

The onset of asthma is the result of the cumulative effect of many factors. Nevertheless, in the 1990s there was a rapid increase in cases of asthma in Finland, as well as an increase in damage caused by dampness in buildings.

Continue reading "Finnish study links child asthma with structural dampness in buildings" »

February 21, 2007

Race May Play a Role in Children’s Asthma Care

asthmaNewswise — Children in this country suffer from asthma more than any other chronic illness, and new research finds African-American children with the condition have a greater risk than others of experiencing severe symptoms that escalate into an emergency.

Previous research has shown that in comparison with white and Hispanic children, African-Americans have a higher rate of asthma, are hospitalized more and face more disability due to the condition. Because of this, “we suspected they might also exhibit relatively more severe asthma symptoms at the time of hospitalization,” said Yu Bai, a doctoral candidate at Pennsylvania State University.

Bai and his colleagues analyzed the records of 7,726 white, African-American and Hispanic children up to age 19 who were admitted to Pennsylvania hospitals in 2001 for asthma symptoms. The researchers then examined how the physician reported the severity of the children’s condition and ranked them either as “emergency” or “non-emergency” admissions.

Continue reading "Race May Play a Role in Children’s Asthma Care" »

Cracked skin could be path to asthma

eczemaResearchers have long noted that many asthma sufferers also have atopic dermatitis -- often called eczema -- a chronic disease of the skin that can leave it red, raw, scaly, tender, oozy and excruciatingly itchy. But scientists are looking at whether such ravaging of the skin creates the conditions that can trigger asthma.

British scientists reported last spring in the journal Nature Genetics that people who suffer from both eczema and asthma carry the same gene mutation and concluded that in some cases eczema may actually lead to asthma.

Continue reading "Cracked skin could be path to asthma" »

February 20, 2007

Asthma, the Most Common Chronic Childhood Illness, Affects about 10% of Children

asthmaDUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of Asthma Evaluation and Management 2007 Update to their offering.

Patients with asthma require a continuum of preventive, acute, psychological, rehabilitative, education, and self-management interventions to meet their complex health and psychosocial needs. Deaths usually occur in asthma as a result of the lack of appreciation for the severity of an exacerbation, and inadequate prompt home emergency treatment.

Care by a pulmonary or allergy specialist for patients with mild to moderate as well as severe asthma has demonstrated improved outcomes. Improved outcomes related to specialist management (as measured by reduced hospitalizations and ER visits) appear due to the greater use of prophylactic medication and other strategies such as case management.

Continue reading " Asthma, the Most Common Chronic Childhood Illness, Affects about 10% of Children" »

February 19, 2007

Short-Course Montelukast Improves Outcomes for Intermittent Asthma in Children

montelukastFebruary 16, 2007 — In children with intermittent asthma, a short course of montelukast resulted in reduction in acute healthcare resources, asthma symptoms, and days lost from school and from work for parents, according to the results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial reported in the February 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine.

"In children, intermittent asthma is the most common pattern and is responsible for the majority of exacerbations," write Colin F. Robertson, MD, of the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues. "Montelukast has a rapid onset of action and may be effective if used intermittently."

Continue reading "Short-Course Montelukast Improves Outcomes for Intermittent Asthma in Children" »

February 15, 2007

Astrazeneca Launches A Smarter Approach To Asthma Management In Europe

symbicortAstraZeneca today announced that 37 countries to date have received approval of Symbicort® Maintenance And Reliever Therapy (Symbicort SMART®), and that a period of world wide launches will now be initiated. This new, smarter approach to asthma is the first to provide patients with both asthma maintenance and reliever therapy together in just one inhaler.

With the Symbicort SMART management approach, patients receive inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long acting bronchodilator (LABA) with every inhalation. Thus, with Symbicort SMART it is possible to treat the underlying inflammation with every inhalation, even when used for rapid symptom relief, making it a more effective way to manage asthma. A separate SABA (short acting bronchodilator) inhaler is therefore no longer needed. Symbicort SMART has been proven to reduce exacerbations by 39% compared with salmeterol / fluticasone combination and a separate reliever medication.1

Continue reading "Astrazeneca Launches A Smarter Approach To Asthma Management In Europe" »

February 9, 2007

Link found between asthma and obesity

asthmaAsthmatics are more likely than other Australians to be obese and suffer other long-term health conditions, a new study says.

Australian researchers have found more than one in five asthma patients are obese, and fewer than half had a normal body mass index.

Only about 38 per cent of middle aged asthmatics had a normal body mass index.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report concluded people with asthma aged 18 to 64 were more likely to be obese than those who had never had asthma, but could not identify the reason.

Continue reading "Link found between asthma and obesity" »

February 8, 2007

Cracked Skin Could Be Path to Asthma

asthmaResearchers have long noted that many asthma sufferers also have atopic dermatitis — often called eczema — a chronic disease of the skin that can leave it red, raw, scaly, tender, oozy and excruciatingly itchy. But scientists are looking at whether such ravaging of the skin creates the conditions that can trigger asthma.

Last spring in the journal Nature Genetics, British scientists reported that people who suffer from both eczema and asthma carry the same gene mutation and concluded that eczema may actually lead to asthma in some cases.

Until now, it had largely been assumed that dander, dust mites, pollen and other allergens that can cause asthma enter the body through the respiratory system. But the researchers said they now believe that they can also enter the body through tiny breaks in the skin’s surface — something that occurs in patients with eczema.

Continue reading "Cracked Skin Could Be Path to Asthma" »

February 7, 2007

Asthma and Air Quality

air qualityPurpose of review: There is evidence for an association between asthma and air pollutants, including ozone, NO2 and particulate matter. Since these pollutants are ubiquitous in the urban atmosphere and typically correlated with each other it has been difficult to ascertain the specific sources of air pollution responsible for the observed effects.

Similarly, uncertainty in determining a causal agent, or multiple agents, has complicated efforts to identify the mechanisms involved in pollution-mediated asthma events and whether air pollution may cause asthma as well as exacerbate preexisting cases.

Continue reading "Asthma and Air Quality" »

February 5, 2007

Med students auctioned off for asthma prevention

asthmaMedical students stripped off their white lab coats and strutted their stuff down the runway in Sayles Hall Friday night in an effort to raise money for asthmatic children.

The charity auction, dubbed "Date a Doctor," raised $3,641 for the Community Asthma Programs at Hasbro Children's Hospital, including a top bid of $469 for a date with Stacey Weinstein '05 MD'09, who co-hosted and organized the event.

"It's all for the kids," participant Cliff Voigt '05 MD'09 said to the crowd after demonstrating his dancing talent.

Continue reading "Med students auctioned off for asthma prevention" »

February 1, 2007

It’s hard to diagnose children with asthma

asthmaAsthma is the No. 1 reason that children miss school in the United States and the most common chronic illness that sends kids to the emergency room.

Some children have only mild, occasional asthma flare-ups, or only show signs after exercising, while others have such severe asthma that it affects their activity level and causes changes in the way their lungs function.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes airways to tighten. Asthma flare-ups often appear to happen without warning, even after weeks or months without symptoms. All children who suffer from asthma have airways that are overly sensitive to triggers, such as exercise, allergies, viral infections and smoke. When children with asthma are exposed to triggers such as these, their airway linings become inflamed, swollen and filled with mucus, and the muscles that line the airways tighten and shrink, which makes it difficult for air to move through them. A child experiencing an asthma flare-up may cough, wheeze and sweat, and may feel tightness in the chest, increased heart rate and shortness of breath.

Continue reading "It’s hard to diagnose children with asthma" »

January 31, 2007

Different Treatment May be Needed for Infection-Related Breathing Problems

asthmaNew research suggests that different treatments may be needed for chronic asthma, depending on whether it results from allergies or lung infections.

Previous studies have shown that certain lung infections such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae can linger on and contribute to a person later experiencing symptoms of asthma.

Researchers have now identified a particular gene that influences how severe a M. pneumoniae infection may be, which in turn suggests that a different strategy might be needed for treating asthma resulting from this and similar lung infections rather than allergies.

“What this shows is that infectious asthma might have a different mechanism than allergic asthma. Most people think asthma is asthma, but it may be multifaceted,” said Dr. Robert Hardy, an infectious disease specialist at UT Southwestern.

Continue reading "Different Treatment May be Needed for Infection-Related Breathing Problems" »

January 19, 2007

AstraZeneca says German asthma drug study inconclusive

astrazeneca

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) said Thursday the findings of a study on respiratory combination drugs by the German Institute for the Evaluation of Drugs, or IQWIG, are inconclusive.

The study found that patients suffering from asthma didn't respond better to combination drugs, such as AstraZeneca's Symbicort, than to the use of two drugs alone.

The study also included GlaxoSmithkline PLC's (GSK) Viani and Schwarz Pharma AG's (SRZ.XE) Atmadisc.

AstraZeneca said in a statement that the IQWIG findings are preliminary and that the institute didn't use the latest clinical data available for the Symbicort drug.

Continue reading "AstraZeneca says German asthma drug study inconclusive" »

Association of Mold With Asthma Symptoms

asthmaby Mark T. O'Hollaren, MD

Alternaria alternata is a saprophytic mold typically found in soil and plants, and is considered to be primarily an outdoor allergen. It has been associated with episodes of severe, life-threatening attacks of asthma, and sensitivity to Alternaria (ie, as demonstrated with a positive allergy skin test) has been associated with an approximate 200-fold increase in the risk of a life-threatening asthma attack.[1] Sensitization to Alternaria has also been found to be more common in patients with asthma than in those without asthma.

Salo and colleagues collected data as part of the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing study, and they surveyed a nationally representative sample of over 800 housing units inhabited by over 2400 individuals. They collected dust samples from bed, sofa, or chair, and from the bedroom, living room and kitchen floors, and analyzed for the presence of Alternaria using a polyclonal anti-Alternaria alternata inhibition assay.

Continue reading "Association of Mold With Asthma Symptoms" »

January 18, 2007

Aspirin May Have Role in Asthma Prevention

aspirinBOSTON, Jan. 15 -- Aspirin may reduce the risk of new-onset asthma in adult males, according to a retrospective analysis of a longitudinal study of thousands of physicians.

A post hoc analysis of data from the Physicians' Health Study, which investigated the role of aspirin in preventing first heart attacks, revealed that men who took 325 mg of aspirin every other day had a 22% reduction in risk of new onset asthma, found Tobias Kurth, M.D., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital here, and colleagues.

Moreover, the possible protective effect of aspirin was not modified by baseline risk factors including smoking, body mass index, or age, but the benefit appeared to be greater among younger men, the researchers reported in the January issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Continue reading "Aspirin May Have Role in Asthma Prevention" »

January 11, 2007

Asthma patients prefer fast relief

asthmaWASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Asthma sufferers are much more likely to use drugs that offer fast relief of symptoms, according to new U.S. research.

About 31 percent of sufferers said they use fast-acting medications, while only 14 percent said they use longer-term, preventive treatments, according to a new study by Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Another 31 percent of people with asthma said they use both types of medications, and 24 percent said they use none, according to the study.

Continue reading "Asthma patients prefer fast relief" »

January 9, 2007

Red Tides Worsen Asthma with Breathtaking Seascapes

red tidesMIAMI -- Harmful algal blooms known as red tides release toxins that can leave people with asthma gasping still harder for air, reported researchers here.

After spending just 60 minutes on a beach where a Florida red tide was present, teens and adults with asthma had small but significant decreases in standard measures of pulmonary function, reported Lora E. Fleming, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

"In the normal population, inhaled aerosolized red tide toxins can lead to eye irritation, rhinorrhea, nonproductive cough, and wheezing," Dr. Fleming and colleagues reported in the January issue of Chest.

Continue reading "Red Tides Worsen Asthma with Breathtaking Seascapes" »

January 8, 2007

Number of infants with asthma rises in Prague

asthmaPrague, Jan 6 (CTK) - The number of children suffering from asthma and other respiratory disease has been on the rise in the one million Prague as the number of cars and lorries in the city increases and the air is polluted with dust, daily Pravo writes today.

Pediatricians told the daily that the situation in the city is serious and that it has been worse and worse every year.

"For instance, younger children fall ill and the number of children suffering from asthma is rising. Babies and infants under half a year of age are not an exception," Pravo quotes pediatrician Ivana Nulickova who has a surgery in the city centre as saying.

Continue reading "Number of infants with asthma rises in Prague" »

January 5, 2007

Salt reduction may have asthma benefits too

Reducing salt intake may affect asthma severity and breathing in adults with the condition, says a joint Anglo-American review of the science.

The review looks set to continue to put pressure on the food industry to reach the targets set out by an increasing number of food agencies to cut salt intake. In the USA, UK and Ireland, over 80 per cent of salt intake comes from processed food.

The authors of the new review, Timothy Mickleborough from Indiana University and Andrew Fogarty from the University of Nottingham, analyse both epidemiological and clinical evidence and conclude that, collectively, increased salt intake may increase the severity of asthma for people with the disease.

Continue reading "Salt reduction may have asthma benefits too" »

Total Asthma Control Yields Best Quality of Life

advairNEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 04 - Total control of asthma, in accordance with guidelines from the Global Initiative for Asthma at the National Institutes of Health, results in the best quality of life, a new report indicates.

The results show that a tangible improvement in quality of life is seen when asthma is totally controlled rather than simply well controlled.

As reported in the European Respiratory Journal for January, Dr. E. D. Bateman, from the University of Capetown in South Africa, and colleagues administered the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) to 1994 patients participating in a study comparing the efficacy of fluticasone alone or in combination with salmeterol.

Continue reading "Total Asthma Control Yields Best Quality of Life" »

January 2, 2007

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Advances in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

CAMBy Hana R. Solomon, MD

Worldwide, only 10% to 30% of healthcare is provided by conventional, Western, biomedical practitioners. The remainder is delivered either through folk beliefs or alternative traditions.[1] Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become more popular in the United States over the past few decades. With this increasing popularity of CAM, it is important that practitioners become familiar with this area of medical practice for all diagnoses.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), CAM is defined as "a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.[2]" The list of modalities included in this definition continually changes as practices are integrated into Western conventional medicine. They also identify 5 concepts, or domains, of CAM:

Continue reading "Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Advances in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology" »

Novel Therapies for Asthma

asthmaBy David H. Broide, MD, ChB

Asthma is a very common airway disease affecting approximately 20 million individuals in the United States. For many patients with persistent asthma, asthma is well controlled with a regular controller medication, such as an inhaled corticosteroid, and an as-needed beta2-agonist inhaler for symptom relief.[1] Nevertheless, each year in the United States, there are still approximately 10 million acute attacks of asthma, 2 million asthma urgent care visits, 400,000 asthma hospitalizations, and 4000-5000 asthma deaths, underscoring the fact that asthma is still not well controlled in a large number of asthmatics.[2] Patients with severe asthma use a significant fraction of the $6.2 billion in annual direct cost expenditure on asthma in the United States.[3] The development of novel therapeutic options for these asthmatics would be a significant advance.

Continue reading "Novel Therapies for Asthma" »

Maximizing Asthma Control

patient with doctorBy Mark T. O'Hollaren, MD Oregon Health and Science University

In the last several years, the concept of "asthma control" has received significant attention. National and international asthma treatment guidelines increasingly stress the fact that those caring for patients with asthma need to be aware of the impact that asthma has on the daily lives of their patients. Asthma care is moving away from focusing primarily on a number, such as pulmonary function tests or peak expiratory flow measurements, to one in which these numbers are combined with other assessments, such as quality of sleep, limitation of activity and exercise, and requirement for rescue medications.

Continue reading "Maximizing Asthma Control" »

T Cells in the Pathogenesis and Prevention of Asthma

asthmaBy Dale T. Umetsu, MD, PhD

Allergic asthma is an immunologic disease that is caused by adaptive immune responses to environmental allergens. Asthma is thus characterized by the presence of allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E, which is produced during adaptive immune response and by the presence of allergen-specific CD4+ Th2 cells producing interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13.[1] Th2 cells are also generated during adaptive immune responses, and are thought to play a central role in orchestrating the inflammation in asthma, because IL-4 causes isotype switch to IgE; IL-5 enhances the growth and differentiation of eosinophils; and IL-13 causes airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) -- a cardinal feature of asthma.[2] The development of these adaptive immune responses with IgE and Th2 cells reflects allergen sensitization, which is a significant risk factor for the development of asthma.

Continue reading "T Cells in the Pathogenesis and Prevention of Asthma" »

December 29, 2006

The Year in Asthma

asthmaPHILADELPHIA, Dec. 28 -- Asthma mortality rates are declining worldwide, largely due to increased use of inhaled corticosteroids to manage the disease. That was the conclusion of an international group of researchers, who presented data on world trends.

The following summary reviews some of the highlights of the year in asthma research. For fuller accounts, links to the individual articles published in MedPage Today have been provided.

Mortality

Despite the decline in mortality reported at the 2006 annual meeting of American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, asthma still accounts for one of every 250 deaths worldwide, many of which could have been prevented with better medical care.

Continue reading "The Year in Asthma" »

December 24, 2006

Toyota may agree to provide health-care aid to asthmatics

toyotaToyota Motor Corp. intends to agree to a health-care subsidy plan as part of a settlement with asthma patients who sued Toyota and six other automakers, claiming exhaust fumes from diesel vehicles caused their disease, informed sources said.

The suit, now pending at the Tokyo High Court, seeks compensation from the manufacturers as well as the central government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The health-care plan was proposed by the metropolitan government last month. Toyota is the first carmaker indicating it intends to accept the plan, the sources said.

Continue reading "Toyota may agree to provide health-care aid to asthmatics" »

The Future Of Asthma Research

asthmaAsthma UK and the Royal Society of Medicine are offering people with asthma a unique opportunity to influence the future of asthma research.

Medicine and Me: Asthma Research will bring people with asthma, their families and carers, together with researchers and health professionals to exchange their views on the key challenges in basic asthma research.

The event aims to make science more accessible to people with asthma and ensure the strategy reflects their needs. It takes place on 19 February at the Royal Society of Medicine, London. Supported by AstraZeneca, it will include a mix of presentations and discussions, followed by an evening reception.

Continue reading "The Future Of Asthma Research" »

Allergy or Asthma Problems? Try a High Quality Air Filter

micropower guard By Will Hawkins, WOAI.com Heating & Cooling Expert

Q. We have family members that have allergies or asthma. What can we do about it?

A. Installing a Nature’s Home Media Filter can reduce these problems. The MicroPower Guard air filter will capture microscopic particles, and you only have to change the filter once every three months.

People spend about 90% of their time indoors. The EPA ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers to the public. Why? Our homes are sealed, insulated and efficient. While this conserves energy, it locks in allergenic particles, infectious agents and other toxic agents. A quality filter can reduce or eliminate these household pollutants that can cause these health problems.

Continue reading "Allergy or Asthma Problems? Try a High Quality Air Filter" »

December 22, 2006

Percentage of asthmatic kids doubles in 10 years

asthmaJAPAN - The proportion of schoolchildren suffering from asthma has more than doubled in the last 10 years to the highest level ever, an education ministry survey showed Thursday.

"In light of the increase not only in asthma but also in other types of allergies, the growth can be attributed to various factors, including air pollution and lifestyles," an Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry official said. "It's difficult to pinpoint a cause."

The preliminary figures are based on health checkup data for about 3.36 million children from kindergarten through high school across the country. The ministry conducted the research between April and June.

Continue reading "Percentage of asthmatic kids doubles in 10 years" »

December 21, 2006

Vectura signs US development deal for asthma therapy

vectura groupLONDON (AFX) - Vectura Group PLC has struck a US collaboration and development deal with a 'leading international pharmaceutical company' for its generic combination asthma therapy, VR315.

In a statement, the British drug developer said it will share the profits from any eventual sales of the product, and could receive up to 63 mln usd in milestone payments.

The therapy is thought to be a copycat version of GlaxoSmithKline PLC's top-selling asthma drug Advair, which generated sales of 3 bln stg last year and will lose patent protection in around 2010.

Continue reading "Vectura signs US development deal for asthma therapy" »

December 20, 2006

Half of Newly Diagnosed Asthma Patients Do Not Fill a Prescription for Treatment

asthmaWALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that approximately half of newly diagnosed patients with asthma do not receive any form of pharmacological treatment within 360 days of their diagnosis. The new report entitled Treatment Algorithms in Asthma finds that drug treatment rate is low because patients face significant out-of-pocket expenses for asthma treatment. In addition, physicians note that drug treatment rates might be low because the symptoms may improve upon treatment in an urgent care setting following which patients may not present to a physician again.

The report also finds that primary care physicians vary from recommended guidelines to prescribe GlaxoSmithKline's Advair as first-line therapy in cases where it is recommended to start with an inhaled corticosteroid.

Continue reading "Half of Newly Diagnosed Asthma Patients Do Not Fill a Prescription for Treatment" »