Uncontrolled asthma attacks during pregnancy increase health risks for mothers and babies
Women with asthma who suffer severe symptoms while they are pregnant face higher risks of health problems both for themselves and their babies compared to women with well-controlled asthma, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal[1].
New knowledge on the development of asthma
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have studied which genes are expressed in overactive immune cells in mice with asthma-like inflammation of the airways. Their results, which are published in the journal Immunity, suggest that the synthesis and breakdown of fats plays an important part…
Asthma Controller Step Down Yardstick – Treatment Guidance for When Asthma Improves
Helps clinicians understand when treatment should be stepped down, and how
Secondhand Marijuana Smoke Causes Asthma Symptoms in Child Allergic to Cannabis
It’s well established that secondhand smoke from cigarettes is a risk to anyone who suffers from asthma. New research being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting shows it’s possible for both children and adults with uncontrolled asthma…
Paracetamol use in infancy is linked to increased risk of asthma in some teenagers
Children who take paracetamol during their first two years of life may be at a higher risk of developing asthma by the age of 18, especially if they have a particular genetic makeup, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International…
Another test to help clinicians diagnose asthma more accurately
A meta-analysis published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings shows that fractional exhaled nitrous oxide (FeNO) is a good evidence-based adjunct test for asthma
Vitamin D protects against severe asthma attacks
Taking oral vitamin D supplements in addition to standard asthma medication could halve the risk of asthma attacks requiring hospital attendance, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Treating asthma or COPD with steroid inhaler increases the risk of hard-to-treat infections
Older people who use steroid inhalers for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to suffer particular bacterial infections, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal.
Steroids May Do More Harm Than Good in Some Cases of Severe Asthma
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and UPMC have uncovered the molecular mechanism underlying corticosteroid resistance in severe asthma. The new findings have important clinical implications, suggesting that corticosteroids, the main treatment for asthma, may worsen the disease in this…
Taming the Trouble with Inhalers: A New Way to Treat Asthma
A common treatment for asthma, which is the most prevalent chronic childhood disease, requires use of an inhaler. But a big problem with inhalers, used to deliver steroids and other drugs in an aerosol form, is that children often don’t operate them properly. Parents also…
Inhaled Steroids May Increase Pneumonia Risk in People with Asthma
Use of inhaled corticosteroids was linked with an increased risk of pneumonia in a study of individuals with asthma. In the study of 152,412 asthma patients (of whom 1928 had a pneumonia event during follow-up), current use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with an 83%…
Inhaled Corticosteroids May Raise Women’s Risk of the Metabolic Syndrome
Use of inhaled corticosteroids in women is associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, researchers have found. Results from a large Dutch…