Asthma Common Among Olympic Athletes

HealthDay – 3 mins 8 secs ago THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness are the most common chronic conditions among Olympic athletes, affecting about 8 percent of the competitors, according to a new study.

The Australian researcher suggested the conditions may be linked to the athletes' intense training, particularly those who participate in endurance sports or winter sports. The inhalation of cold air contributes to airway damage.

Airway hyper-responsiveness involves marked narrowing of the airways in response to some kind of outside trigger.

"Inhaling polluted or cold air is considered an important factor which might explain the cause in some sports, but not in all," explained study author Kenneth Fitch, of the University of Western Australia, in a university news release. "The quality of inhaled air could be harmful to the airways, but does not cause the same effect in all sports."

Fitch counted the number of athletes with asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness from the five Olympic games between 2002 and 2010. He identified the athletes by tracking the use of inhaled beta-2 agonists, an anti-asthma drug commonly used by top athletes.

In 2001, the International Olympic Committee recognized the increased use of the drug between 1996 and 2000, and issued a new rule requiring athletes to provide proof of their condition to safeguard the health of Olympic athletes, not as an anti-doping measure, according to the news release.

Fitch noted that athletes with asthma have routinely beaten their opponents. He added, however, there is no proof that treatments for the condition improved their performance. He suggested that training harder than other athletes could help explain why many athletes develop asthma or airway hyper-responsiveness as adults.

The study was published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides more information on asthma.

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Health Tip: Poor Air Quality Affects Kids With Asthma

HealthDay – 1 hr 2 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- When the weather heats up and ozone infiltrates the air, kids with asthma should limit their time outside, experts say.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions for the parents of asthmatic children when the air quality is poor:

Run the air conditioner, and don't let your child spend too much time outside.If your kids participate in outdoor activities, limit them to the early morning hours and away from high-traffic areas.Talk to your child's sports coach about practicing in an indoor, air conditioned environment on very hot days. Send your child to practice with a rescue inhaler, just in case.Ensure that your home is well-ventilated, use an air purifier and avoid wood-burning fires inside the home.Discuss your child's asthma action plan with the pediatrician.

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Asthma Rates Higher Near Busy Highway

HealthDay – Fri, Jun 29, 2012 FRIDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Residents of homes that are located near congested highways have higher rates of asthma, new research finds.

Living close to a busy highway was not linked to seasonal allergies, which suggests that emissions from cars could increase the risk for inflammatory lung disease, researchers from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Lutheran Medical Center in New York said.

Researchers investigated the prevalence of asthma among 62 Brooklyn residents living close to Interstate 278, also known as the Gowanus Expressway, and those living in the same area but farther from the highway. The researchers found higher rates of asthma among the people living closer to the Interstate.

"Our participants were randomly recruited and we observed that the patients who reported asthma live significantly closer to the Gowanus Expressway, compared to the healthy controls who live in the same area, but at a longer distance from the Gowanus," Dr. Maria-Anna Vastardi, of SUNY Downstate, said in a university news release.

The study was to be presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting in Orlando. The research was also published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on asthma.

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Work-Related Asthma a Significant Problem: CDC

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Breathing Smog While Pregnant May Worsen Asthma in Offspring

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Some Schools Don't Let Kids Carry Asthma Inhalers

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SkyePharma asthma drug wins European backing

Reuters – 1 hr 41 mins ago LONDON (Reuters) - SkyePharma said on Friday its lead product, asthma therapy Flutiform, had been recommended for approval by European regulators, doubling the value of the group's shares.

Flutiform was referred to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last year after member states could not reach unanimous agreement on the drug, which will compete with GlaxoSmithKline's Advair and AstraZeneca's Symbicort in the multi-billion dollar respiratory drugs market

A positive opinion from the EMA is usually rubber stamped by the European Commission in a matter of months.

Shares in SkyePharma, which has partnered Mundipharma in developing the drug, more than doubled to 85.5 pence, valuing the group at about 22 million pounds.

"This is the end of a long struggle for the company," said Singer analyst Shawn Manning. "It's highly unlikely that it will get this stamp of approval and not get approved."

He said Flutiform could have sales in Europe of $200 million within five years, assuming it won "a modest" 7 percent share of combination therapy patients.

"We estimate 10 percent will go to SkyePharma, so it's a good solid contributor," he said, adding that the positive opinion also opened the door to markets in Latin America and Canada.

Flutiform is a combination of two commonly prescribed drugs to treat asthma, the corticosteroid fluticasone propionate and the beta-agonist formoterol fumarate, in a metered dose inhaler.

SkyePharma's chief executive Peter Grant said the decision was a strong endorsement of the group's capabilities in developing complex respiratory products.

"It is also good news that we are now on track for a new treatment option to be available for many patients suffering from asthma across Europe," he said.

Earlier on Friday, SkyePharma received a $10 million payment from Pacira Pharmaceuticals following the launch of post-surgical pain drug Exparel in the United States.

(Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)

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Health Tip: Avoid Asthma Triggers

HealthDay – 2 hrs 52 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- If you're trying to prevent an asthma flare, avoiding things that trigger your breathing problems is a good start.

The American Academy of Family Physicians says common asthma triggers include:

Allergens such as tree pollen, grasses or molds.Colds and other viral infections.Exposure to pollutants, tobacco smoke, chemical fumes or perfume.Sinus infections.Heartburn.Exercising.Breathing in cold air.Stress or strong emotions.

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Alternative Therapies Aren't Used as Substitutes for Asthma Meds: Study

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Rapid Asthma Treatment in ER May Prevent Admission

HealthDay – 1 hr 1 min ago FRIDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid treatment with asthma medications seems to help reduce hospitalizations among children with asthma, a new study finds.

Canadian researchers analyzed data from 406 children and found that those with moderate or severe asthma attacks who received systemic corticosteroids within 75 minutes of arriving at a hospital emergency department were 16 percent less likely to be admitted to the hospital.

Corticosteroids reduce inflammation.

The findings illustrate the importance of rapidly identifying and treating children with asthma when they arrive at an emergency department, the researchers said.

The study was recently published online in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.

"We knew that corticosteroids could help avoid hospital admissions and relapses. However, just how delays between emergency department admission and administration of the treatment impacted outcomes remained unclear," lead author Dr. Sanjit Bhogal said in a University of Montreal news release.

"Our study demonstrates that, to be effective in preventing hospital admission, treatment with corticosteroids should be administered within 75 minutes of triage, regardless of patient age," senior author Dr. Francine Ducharme said in the news release.

"In fact, the earlier the treatment is given within this time frame, the more effective it is, hence the advantage of starting treatment right after triage," she added. "Furthermore, beginning early treatment reduces emergency department stay by almost 45 minutes for patients who will be discharged from the emergency department."

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about asthma and children.

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Quercetin for Allergic Asthma

For two decades, quercetin has claimed nutritional fame as the most potent natural anti-histamine available.  Numerous studies have demonstrated that quercetin reduces allergic immune response by modulating inflammatory signals at the gene level.  A new animal study demonstrates that a single dose of quercetin can have a potent bronchodilator effect, offering a potential strategy for people with asthma looking for natural ways to help assist them.

Hyperactivity of the airways is a major problem in allergic asthma.  In this study scientists induced experimental allergic asthma in guinea pigs.  A single dose of quercetin significantly reduced the allergic airway response.  The dose used was approximately 500 mg of quercetin per 50 pounds of weight.  In other words, adults could try 1,500 mg to 2,000 mg as a single dose to see if it helps calm down allergy related breathing problems.

Quercetin has always excelled in the pollen season as well as the flu season.  It continues to demonstrate a wide range of helpful immune system support properties.  Any person struggling with any type of allergy should always give quercetin a try.

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