Asthma

Asthma rates increasing in U.S., despite less smoking and decreased air pollution

now let me think - how could this be?  Oh vaccines..............suppression of eczema with steroids.........to name 2 reasons

Asthma rates increasing in U.S., despite less smoking and decreased air pollution
Sheri

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times
May 3, 2011
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-asthma-rates-increasing-05032011,0,866950.story

About one in 12 people in the United States now has asthma, a total of 24.6 million people and an increase of 4.3 million since 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The costs of medical care for these patients increased by about 6% between 2002 and 2007, totaling $56 billion in the latter year, according to information in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The increases come, surprisingly, despite improved air quality throughout most of the country and widespread decreases in smoking. "We don't know exactly why the rate is going up," Ileana Arias, principal deputy director of the CDC, said in a news conference....

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MMWR:
Vital Signs: Asthma Prevalence, Disease Characteristics, and Self-Management Education ­ United States, 2001–2009

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recent:


Outdoor Air Pollution and Asthma in Children.
Tzivian L.
J Asthma. 2011 Apr 13.

We reviewed studies published between 2006 and 2009 examining the effect of outdoor air pollution on asthma in children. In total, we evaluated 25 articles; of these, 9 were published in 2006, 3 in 2007, 8 in 2008, and 5 in 2009. Of these 25 studies, 1 was a clinical trial, 6 were cross-sectional, 4 were case-control (2 with a case-crossover design), 12 were cohort prospective, and 2 were cohort retrospective studies with varied follow-up times ranging from 10 days to 7 years. The ages of children also differed, ranging from birth to 18 years of age. Conclusions. All studies reviewed in this work indicate that outdoor air pollution affects the appearance and exacerbation of asthma in children.


Environmental pollution and lung effects in children.
Searing DA, Rabinovitch N.
Curr Opin Pediatr. 2011 Apr 5

SUMMARY: Ambient pollution levels may be associated with both asthma incidence and severity. Susceptibility to air pollution may be higher in children with genetic polymorphisms related to the 'oxidant stress pathways'. Potential interventions for susceptible children at risk for asthma development and/or severity include decreased exposure on high air pollution days, especially in the summer months, and antioxidant supplementation. On the population level, changes in school and home zoning to increase distance from busy roadways may help reduce both asthma incidence and severity.


Indoor particulate matter increases asthma morbidity in children with non-atopic and atopic asthma.
McCormack MC, Breysse PN, Matsui EC, Hansel NN, Peng RD, Curtin-Brosnan J, Williams DL, Wills-Karp M, Diette GB; Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Apr;106(4):308-15.

CONCLUSIONS: In-home particles similarly cause increased symptoms of asthma in non-atopic and atopic children. Environmental control strategies that reduce particle concentrations may prove to be an effective means of improving asthma outcomes, especially for non-atopic asthma, for which there are few environmental control practice recommendations.