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2013年9月25日星期三

Research Activities, November 2012: Chronic Disease: Breathing retraining techniques may help adult asthma

Chronic Disease

Breathing retraining techniques may help adult asthma

An asthma inhaler is shown.
Certain behavioral approaches to treat asthma may improve asthma symptoms or reduce use of quick-relief medication in motivated adults with poorly controlled asthma, concludes a new report. The evidence-based review from AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program notes that asthma is a chronic condition of the airways characterized by the complex interaction of underlying inflammation, bronchial (airway) hyper-responsiveness, and airway obstruction. In 2009, the estimated prevalence of asthma in the United States was 8.2 percent, which represents 24.6 million adults and children.
Poorly controlled asthma is associated with increased health care use, decreased quality of life, and significant activity limitations. In the United States, the projected annual cost (direct and indirect) of asthma in 2010 was estimated to be over $ 20 billion. Moderate evidence suggests that, for adults with poorly controlled asthma, hyperventilation-reduction breathing techniques can improve symptoms and may reduce reliever medication use over 6 to 12 months, with no known harmful effects compared to other breathing techniques. However, these techniques were not found to improve lung (pulmonary) function when compared to no intervention. Programs that included 5 or more hours of contact and that also offered interventions beyond breathing retraining or advice were more likely to be effective than no intervention. Patients considering these treatments should not alter asthma medication before discussing their options with their clinician.
The report’s findings can be found in the research review Breathing Exercises and/or Retraining Techniques in the Treatment of Asthma: Comparative Effectiveness. To access this review and other materials that explore the effectiveness and risks of treatment options for various conditions, visit the Effective Health Care Program Web site at http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov.

2013年9月15日星期日

Breathing Exercises and/or Retraining Techniques in the Treatment of Asthma: Comparative Effectiveness - Research Review - Final | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

Breathing Exercises and/or Retraining Techniques in the Treatment of Asthma: Comparative Effectiveness – Research Review – Final | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

Research Review – Final â€“ Sept. 10, 2012

Breathing Exercises and/or Retraining Techniques in the Treatment of Asthma: Comparative Effectiveness

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Breathing Retraining Techniques May Help Adult Asthma

A new evidence-based review from AHRQâ€™s Effective Health Care Program finds that complementary breathing retraining methods such as hyperventilation (over-breathing) reduction breathing, when compared to other breathing techniques, may reduce asthma symptoms and may decrease use of quick relief medications. Only minor harms were reported in these studies.Patients considering intensive asthma-focused training should not change their use of asthma medication without consulting with their medical provider. Select to access the research review, Comparative Effectiveness of Breathing Exercises and/or Retraining Techniques in the Treatment of Asthma.

2013年9月13日星期五

Household Molds Linked to Childhood Asthma - NIH Research Matters - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Household Molds Linked to Childhood Asthma – NIH Research Matters – National Institutes of Health (NIH)

August 20, 2012

Household Molds Linked to Childhood Asthma

Three specific species of mold were more common in the homes of babies who later developed asthma. The finding highlights the importance of preventing water damage and mold growth in households with infants.

Scanning electron micrograph of Penicillium mold producing spores.

More than 6 million children in the U.S. have asthma. Genes are known to play a role, and so does the home environment. Childhood asthma has been linked to indoor mold growing in a child’s home as a result of moisture problems such as water leaks. The connection between mold and asthma, however, is complicated and not fully understood. Asthma is often associated with allergies, and molds spread by releasing tiny spores into the air, which can cause allergic reactions.
A team led by Dr. Tiina Reponen of the University of Cincinnati has been investigating the relationship between mold and childhood asthma. Between 2001 and 2003, they collected dust samples from 289 homes with infants who were an average of 8 months old. At age 7, the kids had allergy skin tests and tests for asthma. The study was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The researchers analyzed the original samples of house dust for concentrations of 36 different species of mold. The molds are on the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index, or ERMI, which was developed by the EPA to measure how moldy a house is.
In the August 2012 edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the team reported that 69 of the children (24%) had developed asthma. The ERMI score of a baby’s home predicted whether the child would have asthma at age 7. ERMI values range from about -10 to 20. For a 10-point increase in ERMI, a child’s risk of asthma increased 80%. Three particular species of mold were most associated with asthma: Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus unguis and Penicillium variabile.
The home inspection team also looked and smelled for evidence of mold. Sometimes even homes with no sign of mold were found to have high ERMI values and result in the development of asthma. Other studies have shown that many homes with high ERMI values have undetected mold problems and that remediating those homes improves children’s asthma.
The association between the trio of molds and asthma doesn’t prove that the molds cause asthma on their own. But it does provide strong evidence that indoor mold can contribute to asthma development. â€œThis stresses the urgent need for remediating water damage in homes, particularly in lower income, urban communities where this is a common issue,â€ Reponen says.
â€”by Helen Fields

asthmatic bronchitis