McALLEN – A high pollen count and second-hand smoke were two contributors this year as the McAllen-Mission-Edinburg area jumped to ninth from 25th as the worst place in the country for asthma.

 “I was surprised myself. I knew we were high, but I didn’t expect to be that high compared to other places,” said pulmonologist Ramon Rodriguez, who McAllen doctor specializes in internal medicine and pulmonary disease.

The ranking, which is determined by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation for America, includes evaluation  of factors like  pollen counts, air quality, frequent ozone days, public smoking bans and use of asthma medications.

All contributed to McAllen’s rise on the list, according to Angel Waldron, spokesperson for AAFA.

“This year, the pollen count was really high in McAllen, (which) can cause problems over half of the people with asthma because they also have allergies,” Waldron said, adding that allergies trigger 60 percent of asthma cases.

Exposure to second-hand smoke also triggers asthma attacks.

Although the AAFA recommends smoking bans in workplaces, restaurants, bars and in cars with minors, McAllen only bans the first two, according to Josue “ Josh ” Ramirez, the city’sdirector of Environmental and Health.

Rodriguez said second-hand smoke is an irritant, but added that barbecuing  also sends people to the emergency room with breathing problems. most show up on Mondays, he said.

Additionally, the McAllen area is among the top five highest in the country in poverty and uninsured rates.

According to the National Prescription Tracking Data Base, which is provided by IMS Health, the usages of both over-the-counter and prescription medications used to treat asthma are higher here than they should be.

 “the data is telling us, the people in McAllen are either dealing with a high incidence of triggers that cause their symptoms, or they may be self-medicating (by) trying different things until they find something that works,” Waldron said.

However, patients who are diligent in being tested and who consult with allergists regularly won’t need to self medicate, Waldron said.

Although typically considered a children’s disease, 68-year-old Connie DiCarlo-Mendiola, of McAllen, learned she had the disease 11 years ago. Growing up in Minnesota, DiCarlo-Mendiola never suffered symptoms as a youth. even when she moved 22 years ago to the Valley, things seemed great.

“ When I first came to the Valley, I loved that Gulf breeze in the evening. I thought that was the best thing because I could breath that fresh air. But now that I have asthma, whenever (there) is a windy day, I stay indoors because of allergies and the wind ,” she said.

Since her diagnosis, however, DiCarlo-Mendiola has ended up in the hospital once a year.

She is not alone. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas reports that the impact reflected on the asthma-related claims are on the rise in Texas.

In the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area alone last year, BCBSTX processed 28,000 claims and paid $2,500,000 related to asthma, Ross Blackstone, senior manager of Media and Public Relations for BCBSTX, stated in a written statement.

Asthma now affects one out of every 12 people in Texas.   in addition to health challenges, the Texas Department of State Health Services says asthma also carries significant social and economic burdens:

>> One-third of asthma-affected Texans miss work at least one day a year because of their condition.

>> One third of Texans with asthma have trouble sleeping, and more than 11 percent have had trouble sleeping five nights in a row or more.

>> Children up to age 4 who have asthma are admitted to the hospital two to eight times more than adults with the same condition.

SOLUTIONS

There are several things that can help alleviate or lessen the affects of asthma.

One is to education people and make them aware of the disease and how to control it, Waldron said.

While there is nothing people can do about pollen counts, they can implement and observe smoking bans.

Also, working to improve the rates of poverty and those who are uninsured would help, Waldron said.

“it is good that students are able to access their inhalers while in school, (but) there are some states that don’t allow it because it is a controlled substance,” Waldron said.”When they don’t have access, we have unnecessary deaths.”

Recruiting more allergists and pulmonologists also would benefit the area. currently, patients have long waiting periods before they can be seen by a board certified specialist.

Rodriguez said the Valley now has 14 allergists and pulmonolgists.

In the Medical: you can use some more physicians in McAllen as well, or specialist to handle, right now there are just far enough, so people are probably dealing with a long waiting period before they can be seen by a board certified specialist, if some more physicians were practicing in McAllen that would be a benefit to our patients as well.

Dr. Rodriguez said in the Valley there are 14 Allergist and pulmonologist if we include the Weslaco ones.

As for DiCarlo-Mendiola, who is a respiratory therapist herself, life is normal except during May and June.

She said she follows three simple rules:

>> Complying with instructions for maintenance medications even when symptom free;

>> Exercising regularly;

>> Eating healthy.

Despite the debilitating effects of asthma, Di-Carlo-Mendiola said she’s winning the battle.

“I don’t let asthma control my life,” she said.

Martha L. Hernández covers health, business and general assignments for the Monitor and El Nuevo Heraldo . you can reach her at (956) 683-4846.

ATLANTA, may 24 (UPI) — about 9 percent of all U.S. asthma cases are made worse by work-related exposures, federal health officials say.

Work-related asthma includes work-exacerbated asthma — pre-existing or concurrent asthma worsened by factors related to the workplace environment — and occupational asthma, new onset asthma attributed to the workplace environment. Work-related asthma is a preventable occupational lung disease associated with serious adverse health and socioeconomic outcomes, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The Asthma Call-Back Survey collects detailed information on asthma, including data on asthma symptoms, healthcare utilization, medication use, knowledge of asthma, cost of asthma care, work-related asthma, comorbid conditions and complementary and alternative medicine use for asthma, the report said.

The 38,306 adults surveyed — who had been employed at one time and currently had asthma — represented an estimated 16 million adults in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Of these, the estimated proportion who had work-related asthma was 9 percent. those with work-related asthma were most likely to be ages 45-64, blacks and other minorities.

The estimated proportion of ever-employed adults with current asthma who had work-related asthma was similar among men and women.

The findings were published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Falak Jahan

World Asthma Day is organized annually by the Global Initiative for Asthma to boost the global asthama awareness. Along with the health care professionals and public health officials round the globe, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) is working to reduce asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality through evidence based strategies for asthma management, projects, and events such as the annual celebration of World Asthma Day. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of may. the theme of this year’s event is “You can Control your Asthma”.

the serious global health disease that affects all age groups, when left uncontrolled, can prove fatal. With an estimated 300 million affected individuals worldwide the prevalence of asthama is increasing because of rapid urbanisation. in Kashmir the number of asthama patients is increasing with gradual industrialisation like cement manufacturing plants and the increase in transportation.

Asthma is the chronic inflammatory disorder of respiratory airways. during an asthama attack the lining of the airways swells, muscles around the airways tighten and mucus clogs the tiny airways in the lungs making breathing difficult. Asthma is characterised by the symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing. usually the symptoms worsen during the night hours and in the early morning, the severity of asthma also varies from person to person. Asthama is the disease caused by some environmental factors in genetically predisposed allergic patients. now asthama is a fully reversible disease with appropriate treatment.

Asthma can be extrinsic (Allergic) or intrinsic (non allergic), of the two the extrinsic asthama is more common. Asthama is triggered by the host factors and environmental factors. the host factors include genetic makeup, obesity, and gender. Environmental factors include allergens, infections (predominantly viral), occupational sensitizers, tobacco smoke (both active and passive), diet. both indoor allergens (Domestic mites; furred animals like dogs, cats, mice; cockroach allergen, fungi; molds; yeasts) and outdoor allergens (Pollens, fungi, molds, and yeasts) are accountable for the disease. in Kashmir the diet allergens usually constitute tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, milk, eggs, bananas etc. the other triggers include cold air, extreme emotional provocation such as anger or fear, and physical exercise. Even the medications like aspirin and other non-steroid anti inflammatory drugs, and beta-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure, coronary disorders and migraine) can trigger asthma.

While obesity plays its role everywhere, it has also been shown to be a risk factor for asthma. as far as gender is concerned, prior to the age of 14, boys are more susceptible to the disease than the girls. by adulthood the occurrence of asthma is more common in females than in males.

The best way to stay away from the agony of asthma is to avoid exposure to specific allergens one is susceptible to. appropriate management can control the disease and enable people to enjoy a good quality of life. Short-term medications are used to relieve symptoms. People with persistent symptoms must take long-term medication daily to control the underlying inflammation and prevent symptoms. in J&K the immunotherapy is under the focus of intensive research and by the end of this year the treatment will be available. till such therapy is developed for the specific allergens found in Kashmir like the pollen of poplar, prevention efforts along with the medications must be ruled out.

Once a diagnosis of occupational asthma is established, complete avoidance of the relevant exposure is ideally an important component of management. Occupational asthma may persist even several years after removal from exposure to the causative agent, especially when the patient has had symptoms for a long time before termination of exposure. Continued exposure may lead to increasingly severe and potentially fatal asthma exacerbation

The prevention involves prevention of the allergic sensitization or the prevention of asthma in the sensitized people. as sensitization can occur prenatally the antigen avoidance diet is prescribed to the high risk women during the pregnancy. Infants fed with the milk other than breast feeding like the cow milk, soya milk etc., are found more susceptible to the disease. Pure breast feeding during the first months after the birth is associated with lower rates of asthma during childhood.

The persons who is suffering from Rhinites, Sinusites, sleep Apnia,  Gastro Eosophigal Reflux disease are prone to asthama or in other words these diseases lead to asthma soonser or later.

Patients having the history or evidence of rhinitis are more prone to asthma. up to 30% of patients with persistent rhinitis have or develop asthma.

Rhinitis frequently precedes asthma, and shares several common risk factors with asthama like common indoor and outdoor allergens such as house dust mites, animal dander, and, less commonly, pollen affecting the nose and bronchi, occupational sensitizers, and non-specific factors like aspirin. the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative recommends that the presence of asthma must be considered in all patients with rhinitis, and that in planning treatment, both should be considered together.

Sinusitis is a complication of upper respiratory infections, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, and other forms of nasal obstruction. both acute and chronic sinusitis can worsen asthma. Nasal polyps associated with asthma and rhinitis, and sometimes with aspirin hypersensitivity, are seen primarily in patients over 40 years old. almost 36% to 96% of aspirin-intolerant patients have polyps, and 29% to 70% of patients with nasal polyps may have asthma.

Gastroesophageal Reflux is also associated with asthama. Medical management should be given for the relief of reflux symptoms as it is often effective. Patients may be advised to eat smaller, more frequent meals; avoid food or drink between meals and especially at bedtime; avoid fatty meals, alcohol, theophylline, and oral beta2-agonists; and elevate the head of the bed.

Although asthma does not kill on the scale of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other chronic diseases, failure to use appropriate medications or to adhere to treatment can lead to death.

Enlightened Treatment

To stay away from the allergens that cause asthama and taking the medications for the inflammation of the respiratory airways was the only way out to deal with asthma. But now with the help of immunotherapy you can enjoy your life with no need to control the disease after treatment, as it gets fully cured.

The World Allergy Organisation along with American College of Allergy Asthama, and Applied Immunology and Indian Academy of Allergy Asthama and Applied Immunology has approved the specific therapy for curing asthma. Dr. Ghulam Hassan is the pioneer to start curing asthama patients in J&K with this therapy. Dr.Ghulam Hassan is the consultant at department of medicine, Government medical college and associated SMHS hospitals, Srinagar Kashmir. Recently Dr. Ghulam Hassan completed his fellowship training in “Allergy” and Diploma in “Allergy and Asthama” through American Academy of Allergy Asthama and Immunology at Christian Medical College Vellore India. Besides, he is the member of American College of Allergy Asthama and Immunology as well as Indian Academy of Allergy. he has also published research papers.

Dr. Ghulam Hassan says “America has developed some specific vaccines and drugs which halt or alter the allergic process in the body. in order to develop specific vaccines and drugs for some allergens that are specific to our state like the pollen of poplar, the American College of Allergy Asthama and Applied Immunology and Indian Academy of Allergy Asthma and Applied Immunology are helping out. the vaccines for such Kashmir specific allergens are to be created and I have taken the initiative to introduce this therapy in our state”

Immunotherapy decrease sensitivity to allergens and leads to lasting relief of allergy symptoms even after treatment is stopped. this makes it a cost-effective, beneficial treatment approach. Allergy shots work like a vaccine, the particular allergen is injected into the body and the gradual increase in the dose develops immunity or tolerance to the allergen. “This therapy turns an asthma patient into a normal person within 3-5 years, and with further research this duration will shrink” Dr. Ghulam Hassan said. “When compared with the symptoms and ailments caused by asthama, the risk involved in using this therapy is quit negligible” Dr. Ghulam Hassan added.

MELBOURNE, March 30 (UPI) — Officials of the Australian drug maker Biota Holdings ltd. said a Phase II clinical trial of an antiviral treated colds in people with asthma.

Peter Cook, chief executive officer of Biota, said the successful completion of the Phase II trial delivered a major milestone in the development of BTA798, or vapendavir, for the treatment of naturally acquired human rhinovirus — the predominant cause of the common cold — infection in asthmatics.

Drug treatment resulted in a statistically significant reduction in cold symptoms compared to a placebo, Cook said.

Cook said the next phase is to design appropriate Phase III studies.

The Phase II multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in asthmatic adults with symptomatic, naturally acquired human rhinovirus infection was conducted over two consecutive seasons in 48 centers in the United States. Subjects received either 400 milligrams of BTA798 or placebo twice daily for six days.

“This trial not only represents a valuable step in the successful delivery of one of Biota’s key programs but it is also a unique accomplishment in the field of antiviral development,” Cook said in a statement. “While the clinical link between human rhinovirus infection and loss of asthma control is now widely accepted, Biota is the first company to evaluate the use of an anti-viral to treat the infection in asthmatics. This has the potential to be of considerable benefit to sufferers through better control of their asthma.”

Runny noses, sneezing, irritable eyes and the dreaded sandpaper-like scratchy throats leave many allergy sufferers desperate for relief as warmer temperatures arrive.

Balmy highs in January combined with temperatures in the 70s in the first part of March are making this year’s allergy season extra irritable.

“the tree pollens are just going wild,” said Jennifer Cantrell, a pharmacist at the Medicine Shoppe at 2431 N. Union Blvd. in central Colorado Springs, noting that the pharmacy has had trouble keeping once-daily antihistamines, such as Zyrtec and Claritin, on the shelf.

Colorado Springs is among cities ranked on the Asthma and Allergy Foundation list of Spring Allergy Capitals. the city is 93rd among the most irritable cities to live in this spring, moving up three spots from 96th in 2011 . the city hit 77th in 2005, the highest during that span.

Knoxville, Tenn. and McAllen, Texas topped the 2012 list with Denver coming in 97th.

Dr. Nathaneal Brady, an allergist with Pikes Peak Allergy & Asthma said mild winter temperatures are the biggest factor in what he says has been an early allergy season. Brady said that “a number of patients have noted symptoms earlier than usual this year.”

“mine are horrible!!” Danielle Love, a University of Colorado Colorado Springs student, commented on the gazette.com Facebook page Wednesday. “They just started as of about two weeks ago. my eyes keep watering and itching. I have a runny nose and I sneeze at least 20 times a day.”

Shelly Toombs Kirby of Colorado Springs also joined in the Facebook conversation, noting she is “taking my allergy meds and it’s not helping at all!”

The National Weather Service confirmed that the Pikes Peak region has had an unusually warm winter, especially during January and the first part of March.

This year’s average high in January was 50.6 degrees, up from the normal 43.2 degrees.

February was right around normal before temperatures spiked again in March, which has seen average highs of 59.2 degrees through the first 20 days. the normal is 52.1.

According to the William Storms Allergy Clinic, one of two pollen count reporting stations in Colorado Springs, levels were “high” on Wednesday. Both Brady and Angel Waldron, a spokeswoman for the allergy foundation, said trees began releasing pollen in early to mid February instead of in March, when Brady said he usually begins telling patients to take their meds.

Even on days when it seems there’s no wind, Waldron said microscopic tree pollen spores can travel up to 400 miles, bringing threats down from the mountains and invading the tree-less plains of eastern El Paso County.

Waldron recommends those with strong allergies stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when pollen counts are highest, run air conditioning instead of opening windows, leave shoes at the door and change clothes when coming indoors and wash their hair at night.

“when you’re outside, hair acts like a mop,” she said. “Anything can get trapped in it.”—Contact Matt Steiner at matt.steiner@gazette.com or follow him on Twitter @gazsteiner.

Allergy season has come earlier in some parts of the country, thanks to the unseasonable mild weather. 

And, if you haven’t started taking your preventive allergy meds, you may want to get right to it, said Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “We’re seeing patients who started to have symptoms a month earlier than usual, in early February.” 

Last year pollen counts were barely recorded in the first week of February in Atlanta, but this year the first week of February saw numbers above 80 and as high as 250. Pollen counts above 50 are considered high.  

Though it’s worse in the South, allergy season is also arriving early in the North.

Why the early sniffles? the warmer winter can cause trees to pollinate earlier. In addition, some studies have shown that pollen season is not only getting earlier, but the pollen is getting more potent. 

“With the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, plants seem to produce more potent pollen,” said Fineman, who has a private practice in Atlanta.  

Another factor causing more severe allergies is the priming factor. 

“People who are exposed early in the season to an allergen, which then goes away and then comes back a week or two later, are primed for a more severe reaction,” Fineman said. 

Making things worse for allergy sufferers, a combination of mild weather and rain can lead to an increase in mold spore counts as well.

Many people this time of year may mistake an allergic reaction to a respiratory illness like winter colds and flu. 

“Doctors have to consider that these may be allergies, not viruses,” Fineman added.

Allergists recommend that people who know they’re allergic to certain pollens start medication before allergy season starts. that may be too late for the South, but you may be able to get a headstart on allergies in the Northern states, where pollen counts haven’t gotten that high yet. 

To monitor pollen levels in your area, go to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s pollen count map. Pollen counts can not only help you avoid the outdoors when the count is high, but can help you better determine what types of pollens are triggering your symptoms.

Laurie Tarkan is an award-winning health journalist whose work appears in the new York Times, among other national magazines and websites. She has authored several health books, including “Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility.” Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. 

Jeffrey Bryant is used to the discomforts of hay fever in spring, when trees normally bloom in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. this year was different: Bryant felt his symptoms come on with a vengeance when it was still January, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“It’s never been as bad as this and never started as early,” Bryant said. the 48-year-old computer programmer usually relies on medications to ease his coughing, sneezing and other symptoms. Now, he is working with his doctor to get started on a series of shots that he hopes will control his allergies within a few weeks.

Mild winter temperatures in many parts of the country—the fourth warmest winter since record-keeping began—have triggered an unusually early release of pollen from trees. that bodes badly for the millions of people who suffer from allergic rhinitis—commonly known as hay fever.

Allergists are predicting a longer, and more intense, allergy season than normal. once people have been exposed to the early pollen, essentially priming the immune system to react to the allergens, there is little chance of relief even if temperatures cool down again. this priming effect can bring on even more severe symptoms for allergy patients, especially those with asthma, says Neil Kao, an allergist in Greenville, S.C.

Medications, including eye drops, antihistamines and nasal sprays, can relieve hay-fever symptoms for many people. For greatest effect, these products usually need to be used just before any exposure to pollen, says Stanley Fineman, an allergy specialist in Marietta, Ga. But this year “we didn’t catch it in time because we didn’t know the pollen was going to start so early,” said Fineman, who also is president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, which represents allergists. Weather websites often signal when local pollen counts start to rise.

More aggressive treatments, including immune-boosting allergy shots, are also available, and specialists expect more patients may pursue these remedies this year if their symptoms are worse than normal.

Different pollens serve as triggers to different people. Allergy shots, which administer escalating doses of the offending allergens, work like a vaccine to create resistance in the patient. But these can take several months to become effective. Doctors increasingly are recommending faster treatment protocols that deliver the shots over a shorter period and can bring relief within a few weeks.

Allergists also may offer the same type of immunotherapy in the form of drops under the tongue, which patients can use at home after an initial visit. Pharmaceutical firms are developing immunotherapy tablets, to be taken orally, including one from Merck & co. that has been shown in trials to reduce symptoms of ragweed allergy.

Other researchers are investigating new methods to give patients faster and more effective allergy relief, such as delivering the allergens through the skin or by way of the lymph nodes.

As many as 30 percent of children and up to 40 percent of adults suffer from seasonal allergies that cause reactions such as sneezing, itching, stuffy nose, and watery eyes. Trees are one of the earliest plants to release pollen, followed later by pollen from grass and flowering plants. For example, high concentrations of tree pollen in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday came mainly from juniper, elm and maple trees, according to data compiled by the National Allergy Bureau, part of research group American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Ditto for Atlanta, where the top offenders were pine, oak and birch.

Some studies suggest climate change, by promoting longer blooming seasons, may increase the prevalence of certain allergens and the time during which people are exposed to them. Warmer temperatures also can boost concentrations of mold, another allergen that is usually killed by colder weather, said James Sublett, the Louisville allergy specialist treating Mr. Bryant.

Improved medications have been introduced to treat allergy symptoms in recent years, including antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays and drugs that block inflammatory chemicals produced by the body. the products are generally safe and effective. But in a large survey of adults presented at an annual allergy conference in 2006, about a third of respondents said they switched medication either because of a lack of effectiveness or side effects.

Unlike medication, allergy shots can potentially lead to lasting remission of symptoms after three to five years.

The treatment, which is formally known as subcutaneous immunotherapy and is generally covered by health insurance plans, may also help prevent development of asthma and new allergies. the shots are typically given once or twice a week for about five months, after which their frequency is reduced.

Growing in popularity is a faster treatment, known as “cluster” therapy, that involves two to four injections one day a week for three weeks. Patients’ own immune systems are mobilized and able to counteract naturally occurring allergens often within a few weeks, says Richard Weber, an allergy specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver. Risks include an increased chance of irritation at the injection site and a possibly serious reaction to the allergen.

Rachel Lowe, a 40-year-old plastic-surgery nurse in Marietta, Ga., recently started cluster shots recommended by Fineman after her allergies kicked in in early February. “I always dread when everything is in bloom because my allergies are so bad that I need to lock myself indoors sometimes and can’t enjoy the spring,” she said.

Some physicians are administering drops under the tongue, known as sublingual immunotherapy, that contain the same substances used in shots. the technique has been used since the 1980s in Europe, where it has been shown to produce lasting remissions in long-term use. It doesn’t have U.S. regulatory approval, but some doctors give it to patients anyway as an “off-label” use of the substance.

Click here to read more from the Wall Street Journal.

People with asthma may one day receive an unconventional prescription for their condition: eat less.

Known as caloric restriction, eating fewer calories than you need has been touted for many years as a way to increase lifespan. While this effect has been demonstrated in lab animals, whether caloric restriction makes people live longer is not clear.

Nevertheless, scientists are exploring caloric restriction as a way to treat a host of conditions — including asthma, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and spinal cord injury — and so far, findings suggest a benefit. In addition, caloric restriction may have a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, said Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore.

Mattson, who himself practices caloric restriction, said he would currently recommend the practice only to people who are overweight or obese. More research is needed to determine whether benefits are seen in lean people.

Mattson discussed his work here at the American Association of the Advancement of Science annual meeting.

Caloric restriction as therapy

In a study published last year in the International Journal of Obesity, Mattson and colleagues found caloric restriction reduced cancer risk factors among overweight women who had a family history of breast cancer. Women who ate 25 percent fewer calories than needed to sustain their weight for six months had reduced levels of hormones and inflammation associated with breast cancer risk.

In a 2007 study, Mattson and colleagues placed 10 overweight participants with asthma on a calorie-restricted diet of 500 to 600 calories every other day. on the days they weren’t dieting, particpants ate as they pleased. after eight weeks, participants said they were able breathe more easily, and had better control of their asthma symptoms compared with the beginning of the study, Mattson said.

Research on animals also suggests caloric restriction reduces neurological damage after a stroke, but only on young or middle-aged animals. Older animals do not appear to benefit, indicating that caloric restriction may offer stroke benefits only at certain points in life, Mattson said.

A 2008 study showed that rats that fasted every other day recovered better from a spinal cord injury.

Preventing disease 

Caloric restriction may also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Just as exercising benefits your muscles, “exercising your nerve cells does the same thing,” Mattson said. Reducing daily calories puts stress on the brain cells that, in a sense, exercises them, Mattson said.

In mice designed to develop Alzheimer’s disease, those fed a calorie-restricted diet performed better on memory tests, and had reduced levels of amyloid beta protein in their brain compared with mice not fed a restricted diet. Amyloid beta aggregates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and is thought contribute to disease onset.

Caloric restriction has been showed to increase levels of a protein in the brain called BDNF. This protein is thought to be involved in the generation of new brain cells, Mattson said.

Not all diseases show a benefit from caloric restriction. Studies suggest that for those with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, it may make the condition worse, Mattson said.

Pass it on: Caloric restriction may be used as a therapy for a host of diseases, including asthma and stroke, research suggests. it may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) — Adults with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease are more than three times as likely to have been exposed to secondhand smoke as kids, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Jinny Chang of the Methodist Hospital said about 10 percent of people with asthma and one-third of asthmatics with chronic sinus inflammation have aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Although they might have been able to take aspirin previously, most are now unable to take it without suffering an asthma attack or other respiratory symptoms, Chang said.

“More than half of U.S. children are exposed to secondhand smoke, and this study adds to the evidence that it is a health threat,” Chang said in a statement. “This study shows it also is associated with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease,

The study included a total of 520 people: 260 patients who had asthma and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease and their spouses, who did not have asthma or aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

In the study, compared with those without aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, those with the condition were more than three times as likely to have been exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke as children and were five times as likely to have been exposed during childhood and adulthood.

Smokers were more than one and a half times more likely to have aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease than those who never smoked, the study said.

The findings are scheduled to be published in the January issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

“It is the leading cause of school absences among children,” McKinley said, adding that missed work hours, as well as prevention and treatment efforts for asthma, makes the disease very costly for Americans. Costs have been on the rise for at least the past decade.

“It’s a chronic disease that doesn’t go away,” she said. “And there is no cure for it.”

McKinley and Intermountain’s Dr. Alyson Edmunds, also a pediatric hospitalist, will be featured during Saturday’s Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline, where they will take questions about RSV and pediatric asthma and provide advice free of charge. From 10 a.m. until noon, people can call 1-800-925-8177 or post questions on the Deseret News’ Facebook page, facebook.com/desnews.

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system that affects everyone differently. it is typically caused by genetics and/or environmental factors. Attacks, in which a person cannot draw in enough air, can be triggered by any number of things, including a virus, air pollution, dust and animal dander, second-hand smoke, mold and mildew and even insects and cockroaches in a person’s living space.

The goal, McKinley said, is to identify those triggers and keep airways from becoming inflamed in the first place, thus preventing attacks and maintaining a normal lifestyle as much as possible.

Treatment and management of the disease is much the same for adults as it is for children, however in small children, good habits need to be encouraged early on. Physicians have a number of tools to help children with asthma to develop a plan of action. the plan often includes identifying when a rescue inhaler, containing the broncho-dilator albuterol, is necessary, as well as when triggers are present and affecting their airways.

Children older than 5 years of age can participate in pulmonary testing to determine their level of control of the disease. It’s typically a good sign if asthma attacks are rare.

Symptoms that end up being persistent, such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, as well as fatigue or irritability, usually lead to the need for long-term medication or more intense treatments.

The ultimate goal, however, is to avoid hospitalizations and having to fight for air.