:: Jun-Jul 2008

Welcome to our Monthly Online Newsletter!

View all Treatment articles in our Treatment Report . The most recent articles are listed on top (not in alphabetical order). Click on the Topic on our home page and then the subtopic - Treatment Report. Stay updated on drugs and their side effects, and various other treatments, including exercise, nutrition, and supplements.

Highlighted Article

Clinical Guidelines

Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma -- Part 1: Introduction -- Diagnosing Asthma (2007)

NGC - Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma. (2008)

NGC - Asthma (2006)

NGC - British guideline on the management of asthma. A clinical national guideline. (2005)

NGC - Control of environmental factors and comorbid conditions that affect asthma: Expert panel report 3: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. (2007)

NGC - Diagnosis and management of asthma. (2008)

NGC - Diagnosis and outpatient management of asthma. (2005)

NGC - Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. (2005)

NGC - Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. (2006)

NGC - Guidelines for the prevention, identification and management of occupational asthma: evidence review and recommendations. (2004)

NGC - Managing asthma long term in children 0-4 years of age and 5-11 years of age: Expert panel report 3: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. (2007)

NGC - Managing asthma long term in youths >12 years of age and Adults: Expert panel report 3: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. (2007)

NGC - Measures of asthma assessment and monitoring: Expert panel report 3: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. (2007)

NGC - Treatment of acute exacerbation of asthma. (2004)

NIH - Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3) (2007)

Internet Sites

Featured site

NIH - Asthma

NIH - Asthma in Children

NIH - Asthma Resources

NIH - Asthma Tuturial

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Asthma

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Occupational asthma

NIH - NHLBI Asthma & Physical Activity in the School

NIH - NHLBI How is Asthma Treated?

NIH - NHLBI What is Asthma?

NIH - NIAID

NIH - NIAID Asthma

NIH - NIAID Focus on Asthma

NIH - NIEHS Asthma and Allergy Prevention

Related Topics - Highlighted Articles

Rhinitis

Burden of rhinitis in children with asthma. (Pediatr Pulmonol. 2005) "Although the clinical association of allergic rhinitis and asthma has been recognized for centuries, in recent years the association appears to be stronger than was reported previously. Ä 41.2% and 58.8% reported that their rhinitis symptoms caused a significant burden in their daily life and exacerbated their asthma, respectively, and almost 50% felt that their rhinitis had not been given significant consideration by their physician."

Sinusitis and Rhinosinusitis

Current thinking on the relationship between rhinosinusitis and asthma. (J Asthma. 2005) "Most recent evidence supports the characterization of rhinosinusitis and asthma as two compartmental expressions of a common mucosal susceptibility to exogenous stimuli. In addition, there is evidence that the compartmental processes can affect and amplify each other via a systemic intermediary. The bone marrow is involved in this process, and IL-5 may be a key cytokine for orchestrating the systemic interaction. These facts argue that rhinosinusitis and asthma are not simply localized disease processes but part of a systemic inflammatory disease affecting the respiratory tract."

In this newsletter:

Diagnosis, Imaging, and Screening
General Information
Risk Factors
Risk Reduction

	Diagnosis, Imaging, and Screening

	General Information
House dust mite control measures for asthma (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008 Issue 2 2008) “Chemical and physical methods aimed at reducing exposure to house dust mite allergens cannot be recommended. It is doubtful whether further studies, similar to the ones in our review, are worthwhile. If other types of studies are considered, they should be methodologically rigorous and use other methods than those used so far, with careful monitoring of mite exposure and relevant clinical outcomes.”

	Risk Factors
Exposure to furry pets and the risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis: a meta-analysis. (Allergy. 2008) “CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to cats exerts a slight preventive effect on asthma, an effect that is more pronounced in cohort studies. On the contrary, exposure to dogs increases slightly the risk of asthma. Exposure to furry pets of undermined type is not conclusive.” Link Found Between Asthma and GERD Wheezing Rhinovirus Illnesses in Early Life Predict Asthma Development in High Risk Children. (Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2008) “CONCLUSIONS: Among outpatient viral wheezing illnesses in infancy and early childhood, those caused by RV infections are the most significant predictors of the subsequent development of asthma at age six years in a high-risk birth cohort.”

	Risk Reduction