Allercy and Asthma Health
 ---
 ---
 ---
The Official Publication of AAN - MA

News Bits

Asthma Symptoms Affected by Menstrual Cycle
A woman’s time of the month could affect her asthma, report researchers from the Cleveland Clinic. In a study conducted among nearly 4,000 women in Northern Europe who had normal periods and weren’t taking birth control pills, they found asthma symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath were either more or less frequent depending on where the woman was in her menstrual cycle. 

Fertility Treatments Linked to Asthma
Children born with the help of fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization were twice as likely to have developed asthma at age five as their peers in a new study out of Great Britain that followed more than 13,000 children. The investigators stop short of blaming fertility treatments for the increase, however, noting other factors, such as genetics, could also be coming into play.

Failure to Fill Prescriptions Ups Risk for Asthma Attack
Boston investigators who looked at commercially insured children ages 5–17 who were suffering from persistent asthma found those who did not consistently fill their controller medication prescriptions were more likely to experience an asthma flare up. The more prescriptions that were filled, the less likely the child would have an asthma attack.

Adult Onset Asthma Higher in Black Women Abused as Children
Could being abuse as a child increase a person’s risk of adult-onset asthma? Yes, report investigators from the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University. In a study involving more than 28,000 African-American women, they found those who reported suffering abuse before the age of 11 were more likely to develop asthma as adults, particularly if the abuse was physical. Interestingly, abuse in adolescence was not linked to a higher risk for asthma later in life.

High Altitude Exercise May Benefit People with Asthma
Exercising at a high altitude might be good for your asthma, find Swiss researchers who measured outcomes in 137 adults with hard to treat asthma who underwent 12 weeks of exercise at an altitude of 1600 meters. Clinical and physiologic improvements were seen in patients with allergic and non-allergic asthma alike. The researchers speculate that high altitude exercise helps asthma patients not only because allergen levels are lower at high altitudes, but also because air viscosity and oxygen pressure are lower, making it easier for people to fully expand their lungs.

 

Top of Page Back
 ---