Asthma Rate Rising Sharply in U.S.

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So we're informed and so too does it seem evident to me anecdotally, too.

The question is, what are the causes of this development?
 
So we're informed and so too does it seem evident to me anecdotally, too.

The question is, what are the causes of this development?
Whatever the reason I'm certain it has nothing to do with Americans being fat.
 
Obviously there is a concerted effort to demonize those in our society who weren't born lucky:
Obesity and Asthma - Asthma
The results of an analysis of seven studies on severe asthma involving 333,102 patients were reported in the April 2007 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society. It seems that for overweight and obese individuals, the incidence of asthma increases by a staggering 50 percent. The researchers draw a logical line between asthma incidence and obesity. Decrease the numbers of individuals struggling with weight issues and decrease our rate of asthma diagnoses.
 
More automobiles?

Studies have shown that children raised in close proximity to major highways have higher asthma rates and even stunted lungs.
 
Preemies at risk for asthma...
:confused:
Asthma link to premature births
12 July 2011 - Pregnant women with asthma need regular monitoring
Women with poorly-managed asthma have a higher chance of giving birth early or having a small baby, a review of evidence suggests. Experts in Australia and the US also found a link with other complications, including pre-eclampsia. They say women with asthma should be monitored at least monthly during their pregnancy. An asthma charity said mums-to-be should also eat a balanced diet and not smoke. The researchers looked at asthma studies involving more than a million pregnant women published between 1975 and 2009. They found women with asthma gave birth to babies weighing on average 93g (0.2lb) less than the babies of mothers without asthma.

Having asthma increased a mother's risk of pre-eclampsia by at least 50%, while risks of pre-term birth were increased by about 25%. Peter Gibson, of the Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases at the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute in Newcastle, Australia, is a co-researcher on the study. He said: "Some of the reported complications may be minimised by effective asthma management strategies and it is important that this group of women and her developing baby are monitored regularly."

Asthma medications themselves do not seem to have direct effects on the mother or baby during pregnancy, experts said in the study, published in the journal BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The journal's editor-in-chief Professor Philip Steer said the main message to pregnant women with asthma was to make sure their symptoms were managed properly. He said: "It's important to optimise your treatment to lower your risk of a preterm birth or a small baby."

Support and advice

Leanne Metcalf, Assistant Director of Research at Asthma UK, said the research would help make healthcare professionals more aware of the importance of effective asthma management during pregnancy. "We encourage pregnant women who have asthma to be monitored regularly throughout their pregnancy and it is crucial that medical professionals are sympathetic to their concerns and provide the support and advice they need. "It is also important that all mums-to-be eat a healthy balanced diet and not smoke during pregnancy to give their baby the best possible chance of a healthy childhood."

BBC News - Asthma link to premature births
 
New treatment for delayed asthma attacks due to exposure to allergens...
:clap2:
'Late' asthma research unearths potential new treatment
12 August 2011 - Scientists have stumbled on a potential new treatment for delayed asthma attacks which can occur several hours after exposure to allergens, a study shows.
A team from Imperial College London found that blocking sensory nerve functions stopped a "late asthmatic response" in mice and rats. Around half of people with asthma experience delayed symptoms. The charity Asthma UK says the research could help the understanding of asthma. Writing in the journal Thorax, researchers say the late asthmatic response happens because the allergen triggers sensory nerves in the airways. These nerves then set off a chain reaction which causes the release of neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which causes the airways to narrow.

If these findings translate to humans, it will mean that drugs called anticholinergics - which block acetylcholine - could be used to treat asthma patients who suffer from delayed attacks. These attacks can often happen at night, three to eight hours after the sufferer comes into contact with grass pollen or house-dust mites, for example. A typical early asthmatic response occurs within an hour of exposure to allergens. At present, steroids are the main treatments for asthma but they are not effective for all patients.

Connections

Professor Maria Belvisi, lead researcher from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, said they realised the importance of sensory nerves in triggering symptoms by chance. "We wanted to do the research on anaesthetised rats, but we couldn't because the late response had been blocked by anaesthetising them. "We stumbled upon it. Now we want to work out how allergens trigger these nerves, because we don't know the exact connections." The data produced by the study suggests that anti-cholinergic therapy may be effective in patients that observe a late phase response to allergen.

Separate recent clinical studies also showed that an anti-cholinergic improved symptoms and lung function in asthma patients. Charity Asthma UK says 5.4 million people in the UK have asthma and it can affect people at any age. Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at the charity, said: "This research seeks to understand the causes of chronic asthma symptoms and may pave the way for identifying new treatments for people with asthma in the future." The study was funded by the Medical Research Council.

BBC News - 'Late' asthma research unearths potential new treatment
 
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