Asthma

Scientists trying to unravel why childhood asthma has reached epidemic proportions have reported that a variety of chemical exposures during infancy -- including pesticides and wood smoke -- can substantially increase a child's risk of developing the disease.

A bacteria only recently revealed as a major cause of ulcers and stomach cancer may help protect children from developing asthma, U.S. researchers reported Tuesday. Children ages 3 to 13 who were infected with Helicobacter pylori were 59% less likely to have asthma than those who were not infected, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers used data on more than 7,000 U.S. children from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1999 to 2000 by the National Center for Health Statistics.

A new survey of Sept. 11-related illnesses has found an alarming increase in asthma -- 12 times higher than normal -- among those who toiled on the toxic debris piles of ground zero. The study was released Monday by the New York City Department of Health, based on responses gathered by the World Trade Center Health Registry. The data show 3.

High-dose injections of the drug triamcinolone can provide dramatic, and sometimes long-lasting, help for people suffering from severe, chronic asthma, New York physicians reported last week. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center gave the drug at various times to 12 patients with a history of hospitalization for severe asthma.

Asthma sufferers have been dying since a new drug hit the market in April, some apparently because they mistakenly believed that the long-lasting drug would immediately relieve their breathing problems. Twenty deaths have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration among users of Serevent. It is not yet clear how many are linked to misuse of the drug, but manufacturer Glaxo Inc. is warning patients and doctors to use it properly.

Asthma rates in children and adolescents tripled in some groups over a 20-year period, according to a study that adds to evidence of a puzzling growth of the disease across the country. There is no hard evidence for why rates rose from 1964 to 1983 in Rochester, Minn., study co-author Dr. Marc Silverstein said Thursday.

Merck & Co. said it won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of its potential blockbuster asthma drug Singulair, sending the company's shares up nearly 5%. Merck shares rose $5.94 to close at $130.63 in active trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. Peak worldwide sales of Singulair could exceed $1 billion a year, putting pressure on competitors Zeneca and Abbott Laboratories, and asthma-inhaler makers such as Glaxo Wellcome, Schering-Plough Corp.

An experimental spray may help prevent some asthma attacks, offering scientists a clue to the cause of the disease and possibly new ways to treat the disorder. Researchers at the University of Siena in Italy report that a spray containing the drug furosemide appeared to reduce the severity of asthma attacks among 11 asthmatics in a new study.

Exposure to fumes emitted by cleaning products in the home may be linked to asthma in children. Researchers have found that children exposed to higher levels of volatile organic compounds are four times more likely to suffer from asthma than children who were not. Volatile organic compounds are found in solvents, paints, floor adhesives, cleaning products, polishes, room fresheners and carpets.