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Paracetamol
given to babies is linked to global rise in asthma |
Independent
19th October 2008 |
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Critics say the infections for which paracetamol was given may have triggered asthma The global rise in asthma over the past 50 years,
which has mystified doctors for decades, may be linked to the growing use of paracetamol, researchers suggest today. A major international study, involving more than
200,000 children in 31 countries, has found those treated with paracetamol in the first year of life had a 46 per cent increased
risk of developing asthma by the age of seven. The risk was up to three times higher among children who were the heaviest users of the drug, indicating a strong
dose-dependent link. The study, published in The Lancet, adds to a growing body of evidence linking the painkiller with the
disabling lung condition. Eczema and rhinitis were also increased. Previous research has linked asthma with exposure to paracetamol
in the womb, infancy, childhood and adulthood. A study by the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of 1,000 people, half of whom had asthma, found the incidence of
the condition was increased threefold in people who used the drug weekly. The results are published in the European Respiratory
Journal. Click here to read the full article
Asthma equipment 'of little
use' |
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BBC 15th April 2008
Asthmatics should not waste money on
special mattress protectors and vacuum cleaners to tackle dust mites - as they are of little use, experts have said.
Many asthmatics are allergic to tiny mites that
live in dust in carpets, bedding and cuddly toys. The
Cochrane Collaboration research group reviewed 54 earlier studies, involving 3,002 people, to assess how well specialist equipment
worked. They found there was some dust mite reduction but nothing
too significant. Mattress protectors, specialist cleaners,
high-efficiency vacuum cleaners and air filters were among the products tested.. Thirty-six trials assessed physical methods, such as mattress casings, 10 chemical methods, and eight a combination
of chemical and physical methods. The products were largely
ineffective, but the team did find mite reduction occurred in 17 trials although it was judged not significant enough to help
ward off asthma.
Click here to read the full article
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Stress quadruples asthma risk:
researchers |
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ABC News (Australia) Wed. 24th November 2004
Children with asthma face quadruple the risk of an attack following
stressful events in their lives, according to a study published in the journal Thorax. Researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, studied 60 children between the ages of six and 13, who had
suffered from asthma for at least three years. The
children were asked to keep daily records over 18 months of acute attacks and their breath strength. Researchers regularly interviewed the children and their parents about stressful
life events. After the information was analysed,
the children were found to be four times as likely to experience a sudden worsening of symptoms with two days of a traumatic
experience. The most upsetting events were
cited as moving house, births, deaths, separations and changes in family relationships. Researchers found double the risk of symptoms worsening again about six weeks after
the event. Past studies have indicated that
stress and states of emotional arousal produce increased airway resistance. The study's authors suggested the increased likelihood of asthma attacks was due to a variety of physiological
and immune processes involving the nervous system as well as hormone and brain chemical regulation.
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Regular use of asthma drugs poses
respiratory, cardiac dangersAsthma equipment 'of little use' |
Cornell News, Cornell University 17th June 2004 Physicians who prescribe the
regular use of beta-agonist drugs for asthma could be endangering their patients, two new studies by researchers at Cornell
and Stanford universities find. One study compiles previously published clinical trials to conclude that patients could
both develop a tolerance for beta-agonists and be at increased risk for asthma attacks, compared with those who do not use
the drug at all. The second study shows that beta-agonist use increases cardiac risks, such as heart attacks, by more
than two-fold, compared with the use of a placebo. Click here to read the full article
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Snoring in children may be cause
for concern |
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Blunden, S., et.al, 2000. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology,
Vol 22(5) 554-568
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At least that's the conclusion in a new study out
of the University of South Australia. When they studied over 2,000 children who snored versus those who did not, they found
significant cognitive differences. Compared to non-snorers, children who snored showed significantly impaired attention and
lower memory and IQ scores.
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