"Green" Inhalers Make
Users See Red
Asthma patients are none too happy about having to
switch from their older inhalers, which traditionally use chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), to more environmentally conscious
devices that are CFC-free but cost considerably more. The
older devices are being phased out by manufacturers, and
they are due to be banned nationwide by the end of the year.
The new inhalers, which utilize hydrofluoroalkane, are just as
effective as the older ones, according to pharmacists and
physicians, but they are costlier than CFC inhalers. Right now,
the prices of the new inhalers are higher because no generic
versions are available, costing anywhere between $45 and
$65. The ban on the CFC inhalers was in response to the 1987
Montreal Protocol, an international pact that called for the
elimination of ozone-depleting chemicals.
Patients also report having trouble working with the new
inhalers, stating that they become clogged and require daily
cleaning. Experts state that patients need to be encouraged
to keep using them, and proper training and practice in their
use can help make the transition easier.
Special Camp for Kids
with Asthma
A recent study showed that children with asthma who
attended a special camp for asthmatic children improved
their management of the disease. About 120 asthma camps
are in place across the country, sponsored by the American
Lung Association, and almost 10,000 children attend them
each year. Researchers from the University of California San
Diego School of Medicine looked at information on 1783 children
who attended 24 different asthma camps. Camp attendees
generally had moderate-to-severe asthma and came
from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
The researchers found that children who had attended
camp the previous year experienced fewer trips to the emergency
room and their doctor's office for asthma-related incidents,
compared with those who had not attended camp
before. Those who attended camp in the past also had better
asthma-management skills and were more likely to use their
medications to control their asthma. The findings were published
in the December 2007 issue of the Annals of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology.
ACAAI Sponsors Free Screening Program
The American College of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) is sponsoring
the 12th Annual Nationwide
Asthma Screening Program to help
adults and children discover if asthma
is causing their breathing problems.
Allergists will bring free screenings to
250 locations across the country during
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness
Month in May. In past years, the program
has screened more than 108,000
people for asthma and referred more
than half of them for further diagnosis.
A specialized effort is being made this
year to reach those patients who may
already know that they have asthma
but are letting the disease limit their
daily activities and/or days of work or
school.
John Winder, MD, chair of the program,
said in a statement, "The government
guidelines emphasize that undiagnosed
or inadequately treated asthma
worsens the severity of the disease.
The screening program gives patients
who are still having breathing problems
a chance to meet with an allergist, discuss
their symptoms, and learn how
they can feel better."
The free screenings will take place at
shopping malls, civic centers, health
fairs, and other accessible places
nationwide. For more information, visit
the Web site for the program at
www.acaai.org/public/lifeQuality/nasp/index.htm.
Women on Farms More Susceptible to Asthma
Women who work on farms and come into contact with any
number of widely used pesticides may be increasing their risk
of developing allergic asthma. Their risk of nonallergic asthma
does not increase, however. Researchers with the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina, found that women who use pesticides on
farms were 50% more likely to develop allergic asthma. They
added that women who grew up on farms seemed to be protected
against allergic asthma, regardless of pesticide use.
Findings were published in the January 1, 2008, issue of the
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Researchers studied the data on 25,814 women who worked
on farms in North Carolina and Iowa who were already participating
in the Agricultural Health Study. The women reported
whether or not they had been diagnosed by a physician as
having asthma, and they were divided according to allergic
and nonallergic asthma status. According to the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America, allergic asthma is the most
common form of asthma in the United States. The women who
had grown up on farms without pesticide exposure had the
lowest risk of allergic asthma, compared with women who
neither grew up on farms nor applied pesticides.
F A S T F A C T : Although 68% of asthma patients report having the disease under control, 74% also say they
would like to control it better.
