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New Asthma research at ATS 2000
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The American Lung Association funded a number of new studies that were presented in Toronto in early May at the ATS2000 International Conference, the premier scientific meeting of lung scientists from around the world. The following articles summarize several of the presentations.
Mycoplasma and Chlamydia: Risk Factors for Asthma? There is mounting evidence that in some patients chronic lung infection with the bacterium mycoplasma pneumoniae is associated with subsequent development of asthma. In this study, researchers found that seven out of 10 patients with a history of childhood pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae reported that they had asthma. The researchers conclude that prior mycoplasma infection results in an increased risk of subsequent asthma. The researchers are now studying a larger number of asthma patients and comparing them with people without asthma to find out more about the role of this infection the development of asthma. Chlamydia pneumoniae is another bacterium that may be associated with the development of asthma. By studying 54 asthma patients and 11 patients without asthma, researchers found that those with asthma are more likely than those without asthma to be infected with this bacterium. Both the mycoplasma and chlamydia research are being conducted at the American Lung Association's Asthma Research Centers located at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado.
Program HelpsAfrican-American Teens Manage Asthma A new video-based asthma education program for urban African-American teenagers may help reduce asthma-related illness and improve asthma management, according to an ALA-funded study presented at the international conference. The program, A MAGAZINE
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"What's the 411 on Asthma," features athletes and African-American teens with asthma. It was developed based on the expressed desire of African-American teens to hear how athletes with asthma manage their condition and to share experiences with peers who have asthma. Christine L. Joseph, PhD, of Henry Ford Health Sciences Center in Detroit, Michigan, studied 62 teens with asthma. Half the group participated in four "411" classes that included 15-minute video segments covering medications, asthma deaths, self-esteem and conflict resolution. The other half of the group received traditional care. Teens were called three, six, nine and 12 months later. Teens who had participated in the 411 program had almost 50 percent fewer emergency room visits for asthma compared with the teens who did not participate. ALA Funds Study of Treatment in K i d s Hospitalized with Asthma
American Lung Association research grant recipient Henry C. Farrar, MD, is evaluating the effectiveness of the drug ipratropium (Atrovent) in treating children who are hospitalized with asthma. He hopes to determine whether adding ipratropium to the standard treatment is beneficial, and to find out which children are most likely to respond to this drug. Dr. Farrar, associate professor of pediatrics and chief of pediatric pharmacology and toxicology at Arkansas Children's
1.800.527.3284
mm
AMERICAN
LUNG
ASSOCIATION'S
ASTHMA
NEWS
H New Asthma ATS 2OOO
Research
at
The American Lung Association funded a number of new studies that were presented in Toronto in early May at the ATS2000 International Conference, the premier scientific meeting of lung scientists from around the world. The following articles summarize several of the presentations.
Mycoplasma and Chlamydia: Risk Factors for Asthma? There is mounting evidence that in some patients chronic lung infection with the bacterium mycoplasma pneumoniae is associated with subsequent development of asthma. In this study, researchers found that seven out of 10 patients with a history of childhood pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae reported that they had asthma. The researchers conclude that prior mycoplasma infection results in an increased risk of subsequent asthma. The researchers are now studying a larger number of asthma patients and comparing them with people without asthma to find out more about the role of this infection the development of asthma. Chlamydia pneumoniae is another bacterium that may be associated with the development of asthma. By studying 54 asthma patients and 11 patients without asthma, researchers found that those with asthma are more likely than those without asthma to be infected with this bacterium. Both the mycoplasma and chlamydia research are being conducted at the American Lung Association's Asthma Research Centers located at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado.
Program HelpsAfrican-American Teens Manage Asthma A new video-based asthma education program for urban African-American teenagers may help reduce asthma-related illness and improve asthma management, according to an ALA-funded study presented at the international conference. The program, A MAGAZINE
to
subscribe
call
"What's the 411 on Asthma," features athletes and African-American teens with asthma. It was developed based on the expressed desire of African-American teens to hear how athletes with asthma manage their condition and to share experiences with peers who have asthma. Christine L. Joseph, PhD, of Henry Ford Health Sciences Center in Detroit, Michigan, studied 62 teens with asthma. Half the group participated in four "411" classes that included 15-minute video segments covering medications, asthma deaths, self-esteem and conflict resolution. The other half of the group received traditional care. Teens were called three, six, nine and 12 months later. Teens who had participated in the 411 program had almost 50 percent fewer emergency room visits for asthma compared with the teens who did not participate. ALA Funds Study of Treatment in K i d s Hospitalized with Asthma
American Lung Association research grant recipient Henry C. Farrar, MD, is evaluating the effectiveness of the drug ipratropium (Atrovent) in treating children who are hospitalized with asthma. He hopes to determine whether adding ipratropium to the standard treatment is beneficial, and to find out which children are most likely to respond to this drug. Dr. Farrar, associate professor of pediatrics and chief of pediatric pharmacology and toxicology at Arkansas Children's
1.800.527.3284