Oral contraceptives 'beneficial' for asthmatic womenNovember 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has found that oral contraceptives might benefit women with asthma. The research team from McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada found that women with asthma who were not taking oral contraceptives (OC) had lower exhaled nitric oxide levels (eNO), a marker of airway inflammation associated with asthma.
Supplements can raise asthma riskNovember 5th, 2009 SYDNEY - Researchers have identified a link between folic acid supplements taken in late pregnancy and allergic asthma in children aged between 3 and 5, suggesting that the timing of supplementation in pregnancy is important. Michael Davies, a professor at the University of Adelaide says that folic acid supplements - recommended for pregnant women to prevent birth defects - appear to have "additional and unexpected" consequences in recent studies in mice and infants.
Intake of folic acid supplements in late pregnancy could cause asthma in kidsNovember 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Folic acid supplements taken by mothers in late pregnancy could lead to allergic asthma in their children at the age of 3 to 5 years, according to a study. The study by University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute suggests that the timing of supplementation in pregnancy is important.
Cardiovascular disease 'ups hip fracture risk'October 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with a significantly increased risk of subsequent hip fracture, and there may be a genetic predisposition to both conditions, according to a new study. CVD and osteoporosis, which are common in elderly individuals, have been regarded as independent age-related disorders.
No link between pets and childhood asthma: StudyOctober 14th, 2009 MELBOURNE - The traditional belief that childhood asthma is linked to pets or the modern obsession with hygiene has been established as untrue by a new study. The study 'Asthma in Australian Children', published by the Institute of Health and Welfare, revealed that kids with allergies to any kind of food, grass or bees were twice as prone to be an asthma patient as children with no allergies.
Impaired foetal growth ups asthma riskOctober 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Children born with low birth weight are at a higher risk of developing asthma later in life, says a new study. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is based on data on the incidence of asthma in 10,918 twins from the Swedish Twin Registry.
Majority hospitalised in US for swine flu had other conditionsOctober 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The most complete tracking yet of patients hospitalised for swine flu shows that more than half had underlying medical conditions, the US Centres for Disease Control said Tuesday. Still, 45 percent did not have apparent illnesses - such as asthma - that put them at higher risk for the H1N1 virus, said Dr Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases.
New H1N1 influenza vaccine trial to be launched for asthma patientsOctober 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are set to launch the first government-sponsored clinical trial in people with asthma. The trial is aimed at determining what dose of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine is needed to induce a protective immune response in people with asthma, especially those with severe disease.
Pregnant women who ignore asthma pass it on to kidsOctober 6th, 2009 TORONTO - Women who avoid treating asthma during pregnancy are likely to transmit the condition to their offspring, say results from a study that examined more than 8,000 families in Canada. A team from the University of Montral (U-M), Hpital du Sacr-Cur de Montral (HdSE) and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre found that 32.6 percent of children born to mothers who ignored their asthma during pregnancy developed the respiratory illness themselves.
Expectant mums shouldn't give up asthma medication: StudyOctober 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Women who shun asthma medications during pregnancy face increased risk of transmitting the condition to their offspring, reveals a new study. The research team from the Universite de Montreal, the Hopital du Sacre-Cur de Montreal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre has revealed that 32.6 percent of children born to mothers who neglected to treat their asthma during pregnancy developed the respiratory illnessin later life.
Changes in humidity, temperature may trigger asthma among kidsSeptember 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Changes in humidity and temperature may trigger asthma among kids, suggests a report. Published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the report says that such weather changes have been found to result in a rise in Emergency Department (ED) visits for paediatric asthma exacerbations.
Asthmatic kids more vulnerable to H1N1 virusSeptember 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Children suffering from asthma are at an increased risk of contracting H1N1 virus, warns an expert. While talking to students and their parents at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius highlighted the work of the Philadelphia MCAN project as a model for childhood asthma management.
Daycare doesn't protect kids against asthma, allergySeptember 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Contrary to popular belief, taking children to day care might not make them immune to asthma and allergies, say researchers. Children in daycare definitely get more illnesses and experience more respiratory symptoms as a result, any perceived protection these exposures afford against asthma and allergy seem to disappear by the time the child hits the age of eight.
Screen tests to predict future asthma attacks not effective for certain patientsSeptember 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center say that certain clinical finding and lab tests, thought to have the potential to predict future asthma attacks, may be little successful when applied to people with persistent disease who are adhering to their health care regimens. While previous reports have suggested that such screen tests can prove very helpful in predicting future asthma attacks, the researchers point out that the earlier conclusions were based on observations of patients with poorly controlled asthma who had not received care based on current guidelines.
Carbon monoxide increases health risk to elderly heart patientsSeptember 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), even well below permissible national limits, may hasten hospitalisation of elderly cardiac patients, according to a new study in the US. The nationwide study of 126 urban communities found that an increase in CO of one part per million (PPM) in the maximum daily hour-long exposure is linked with a 0.96 percent hike in hospitalisation risk from cardiovascular disease among people over 65 year.
