Latest Wheeze Stories

By TOM VOGT Obesity can aggravate problems in one of the most basic life functions - breathing - according to a study that included some Southwest Washington asthma patients. Obese people are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than non-obese asthmatics, according to a study from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. "Given that nearly 30 percent of our country is obese, this study is yet another example of the long-term dangers of obesity, along with...

By Cydulka, Rita K Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that affects almost 10% of children, making it the most common chronic disease of childhood. Last year, children with asthma missed an estimated 12.8 million school days due to their disease. If not well controlled, asthma may limit a child's activity and sense of well being, and place a significant burden on the family. Although the death rate from asthma has declined, following a rise from the 1980s until the...

KENILWORTH, N.J., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Schering-Plough Corporation announced today that ASMANEX(R) TWISTHALER(R) 110 mcg (mometasone furoate inhalation powder) is now available in pharmacies nationwide. ASMANEX is indicated for the maintenance treatment of asthma as prophylactic therapy in patients four years of age and older, and is the first and only once-daily inhaled corticosteroid inhaler approved for this use in children as young as 4. ASMANEX was approved for children...

CHICAGO, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the school bells get ready to ring, parents and other caregivers of children who have asthma should prepare for a possible peak in asthma episodes (also known as attacks or exacerbations). According to the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, the greatest number of asthma hospitalizations occurs in the fall, usually September. The fall increase may be caused by respiratory infections, increased pollen, and outdoor mold counts....

By HELEN PUTTICK and JULIA HORTON A NEW treatment which could help millions of asthma patients ward off attacks could be tried in patients as early as next year. Research which helps explain why catching a cold triggers symptoms such as wheezing and breathlessness in asthmatics is unveiled today. The study, published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows how the immune response which should stop the cold virus building in the lungs is deficient in asthma...

By Duplessis, Christopher A Gumpert, Barton ABSTRACT Objective: An observational study was performed with a convenience sample of 38 submariners exposed to diesel exhaust for 9 hours, to assess the development of reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) after prophylactic corticosteroid treatment. Methods: Twenty-four subjects were available for baseline physical examinations, pulmonary function tests, and chest radiographs, and 16 more subjects were available for interviews; 30 subjects...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Air pollution is a serious health issue, especially in Beijing. For even the healthiest people, air pollution can irritate the respiratory tract and cause serious health problems such as asthma attacks, coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain when inhaling deeply. It can also increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and even early death. Before spectators leave for Beijing, the American Lung Association advises...

MONTREAL--(Marketwire - July 23, 2008) - TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialized in developing products for respiratory disorders, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in a Phase II safety and efficacy study in asthma with one of its lead product candidates, TPI ASM8. The current clinical study builds on prior efficacy and safety data in a three-day study of TPI ASM8 in an allergen challenge model. TPI ASM8 is a novel, inhaled,...

By Mark Newman, Ottumwa Courier, Iowa Jun. 27--OTTUMWA -- Burning some leaves may not give you asthma, but it could hurt your neighbor. "In somebody with pre-existing lung disease -- chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma -- any dust or smoke can irritate the lungs and cause progression of the underlying condition. They are best spared exposure to [that] smoke," said Dr. Kenneth Wayne, a pulmonary specialist in Ottumwa. "That's not to say anyone with healthy lungs, in a well-ventilated area,...

By Smith, Jaclyn A Drake, Richard; Simpson, Angela; Woodcock, Ashley; Pickles, Andrew; Custovic, Adnan Rationale: A focus on distinctive collections of symptoms may be more informative of the probability of respiratory disease than individual and possibly transient phenotypes. However, such collections or components of overall symptomatology need to be valid, and their relationship established with the known risk factors and physiologic measures. Objectives: To analyze detailed parentally...