News Bits
Diagnosing Asthma Is a Three-Step Process
According to Texas researchers publishing in a recent edition of JAMA, diagnosing asthma requires a physical exam, a breathing test called spirometry, and a thorough health history. The investigators also believe all asthma patients should have an asthma action plan that outlines what to do when your symptoms worsen.
Too Much Sugar in Pregnancy Can Lead to Allergies in Offspring
A new study in the European Respiratory Journal finds that women who eat more sweets when they are pregnant are more likely to have children who develop allergies. Results showed kids whose mothers were in the highest sugar intake group had a 38% higher likelihood of having allergies.
Asthma Control Worse in Patients with Fibromyalgia
Spanish researchers publishing in Current Medical Treatment and Opinion believe the anxiety and depression common in fibromyalgia may be contributing to poorer asthma control seen in patients who also have asthma. They suggest adding breathing-retraining programs to multidisciplinary treatments for asthma patients with fibromyalgia.
Never Too Old?
Most people think food allergies develop only in early childhood. Not so, says a recent article in the New York Times that previewed the results of a new national study. In that trial, Chicago researchers found that among Americans who reported having a food allergy, about half said they had developed one or more food allergies after the age of 18.
A Lasting Effect
Mice who are exposed to environmental pollutants during pregnancy may be increasing the risk for asthma in as many as three generations of their families. That’s the key finding from investigators publishing in the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. They believe potentially heritable changes in gene activity may be to blame.
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