November 2009 | Health Asthma

Monday, November 30, 2009

plus 1 more, “Exposure to Both Traffic, Indoor Pollutants Puts Some Kids at Higher ... - Science Daily”

Exposure to Both Traffic, Indoor Pollutants Puts Some Kids at Higher ... - Science Daily

Posted: 26 Nov 2009 03:55 PM PST

ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2009) — New research presents strong evidence that the "synergistic" effect of early-life exposure to both outdoor traffic-related pollution and indoor endotoxin causes more harm to developing lungs than one or the other exposure alone.

Environmental health scientists at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have shown that children exposed to both high levels of traffic-related particles and indoor endotoxin during early life are six times more likely to experience persistent wheezing than children exposed to low levels of traffic and indoor-related pollutants.

They report their findings in the Dec. 1, 2009, edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. This is believed to be the first study to look at the combined effects of traffic-related exposures and sampled endotoxin in children during infancy as an indicator of asthma later in life. Endotoxin, a component of bacteria thought to trigger an immune response in humans, was measured from dust samples collected prior to age 1.

Based on a long-term study of children deemed at high risk for allergies later in life, UC environmental health researchers have found that 36 percent of the children studied who were exposed to high levels of both traffic-related pollution and indoor endotoxin demonstrated persistent wheezing at age 3, an early warning sign of asthma and other pulmonary conditions. Only 11 percent of children exposed to low levels of both indoor and outdoor allergens experienced wheezing; 18 percent of children exposed to low levels of indoor endotoxin and high levels of traffic-related particles experienced persistent wheezing. Endotoxin exposure alone appeared to have little effect.

"There is a clear synergistic effect from co-exposure to traffic-related particles and endotoxin above and beyond what you would see with a single exposure that can be connected to persistent wheezing by age 3," explains Patrick Ryan, PhD, lead author of the study and a research assistant professor of environmental health at UC."These two exposure sources -- when simultaneously present at high levels -- appear to work together to negatively impact the health of young children with developing lungs."

To conduct this study, Ryan and his colleagues utilized land-use regression modeling to calculate study participants' exposures to traffic-related particles, such as diesel exhaust. The model was designed to capture exposures at locations where the child spent more than eight hours a week between birth and age 3; for example, in their homes or at day care.

"Traffic-related particles and endotoxin both seem to trigger an inflammatory response in the children monitored in this study. When put together, that effect is amplified to have a greater impact on the body's response," adds Ryan. "The earlier in life this type of exposure occurs, the more impact it may have long term. Lung development occurs in children up through age 18 or 20. Exposure earlier in life to both endotoxin and traffic will have a greater impact on developing lungs compared to adults whose lungs are already developed."

This research is part of the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study, a long-term epidemiological study examining the effects of traffic particulates on childhood respiratory health and allergy development. Funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the study began in 2001 and is led by Grace LeMasters, PhD, of the UC Department of Environmental Health. Study participants were chosen based on family history and residence's proximity to a major road.

UC's LeMasters, David Bernstein, MD, James Lockey, MD, Tiina Reponen, PhD, Linda Levin, PhD, Sergey Grinshpun, PhD, Manuel Villareal, MD and Jeff Burkle were co-authors of the study. Gurjit Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center also participated in the research study.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Interventions by parent mentors can effectively reduce wheezing and ... - News-Medical.Net

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 10:47 PM PST

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that informed adults can help families stave off complications associated with asthma. The findings, available online and in the December issue of Pediatrics, suggest that interventions by parent mentors - caregivers of asthmatic children who have received specialized topical training - can effectively reduce wheezing, asthma attacks, emergency room visits and missed adult workdays.

"Childhood asthma disproportionately affects urban minority children," said Dr. Glenn Flores, professor of pediatrics and the study's lead author. "Asthma mortality among African-American children alone is almost five times higher than for white children. The goal for this study was to determine whether parent mentors would be more effective than traditional asthma care in improving asthma outcomes for minority children."

Mentors in the study were parents or caregivers who got professional training from a nurse asthma specialist and a program coordinator on a variety of asthma-related topics. Training sessions and a manual were used to present examples of improving asthmatic care and focused on the importance of consistent treatment. The manual also discussed keeping asthmatic children out of hospitals, asthma medications and triggers, and cultural issues that can affect care.

A total of 220 African-American and Hispanic children from Milwaukee were assigned randomly to parent mentors. The children, ranging in age from 2 to 18, were asthmatic and had been seen for complications in urban emergency departments or were hospitalized at local children's hospitals. Mentors met twice with up to 10 families with asthmatic children and telephoned parents monthly until one year after the initial emergency department visit or hospitalization. For families without telephone access, mentors conducted only home visits. Mentors also communicated regularly with the asthma nurse specialist about issues that arose with participating families.

Children in the program experienced significant reductions in rapid-breathing episodes, asthma exacerbations and emergency department visits. Mentored parents or caregivers displayed greater knowledge about controlling their charger's breathing problems. "Not only did this program help the participating families, it also provided employment for those acting as parent mentors and allowed a community to address the health and needs of its children," said Dr. Flores, who holds the Judith and Charles Ginsburg Chair in Pediatrics. "The parent mentor interventions were successful social networking and show caregivers are receptive to hearing advice and instructions from their peers."

Dr. Flores said additional studies and trials will need to take place to evaluate the impact of mentors on health care treatment disparities seen for asthma and other pediatric conditions.

Study results also revealed that parent mentors not only are relatively inexpensive, costing an average of $60.42 per patient. The intervention group actually saved money, experiencing overall savings of $361.84 per patient for hospitalizations and $50.33 for emergency department visits.

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

plus 1 more, “ILLINOIS SPOTLIGHT: Funding for asthma research is tribute - Syracuse Post-Standard”

ILLINOIS SPOTLIGHT: Funding for asthma research is tribute - Syracuse Post-Standard

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 01:54 AM PST

(AP) — WAUKEGAN, Ill. - Rafael Rivera III left behind a world of friends when he died after an asthma attack in 2002 at the age of 26. Many of those friends continue to pay him tribute every warm, first Wednesday in August when they gather for a golf outing to raise money to fight the disease that killed him.

Rafael Rivera III Memorial Golf Outing has raised more than $120,000 for asthma research. Rivera's parents, Rafael Rivera Jr. and his wife Joanne, recently presented proceeds from last summer's golf outing to the University of Chicago's Asthma Center.

"Waukegan is such a giving town and there is a great, great caring community beyond," said Rivera, who also serves as alderman of the city's 9th ward.

Dr. Julian Solway, UC Medical Center vice chair for research, Department of Medicine, called the funds "precious." He said they will be used to support the asthma research program in his laboratory, which is studying the underlying molecular causes of the disease.

"The Riveras suffered a terrible tragedy when their son Rafael succumbed to asthma, but this wonderful, warm family has found a way to celebrate and honor Rafael's life by establishing the Rafael Rivera III Foundation for Asthma Research." Solway said. "We are deeply thankful."

"We have to continue educating our families on the seriousness of asthma, especially in the Hispanic and African-American communities," Rivera said. "Asthma has to be managed because an attack could come at any moment."

The foundation has also worked with the HealthReach Clinic in Waukegan to provide asthma medications and inhalers to patients who are uninsured. Foundation funds have also been donated to Rush Medical Center for research on multiple sclerosis.

Rafael Rivera was a student at National Louis University in Evanston and was about to earn a degree in special education at the time of his death. A graduate of Carmel High School in Mundelein, he was an avid golfer and had caddied at Onwentsia Golf Course in Lake Forest and the Merit Club in Gurnee.

The foundation's most recent golf outing at Bonnie Brook Country Club in Waukegan drew 152 players, including, for the first time, event sponsor Tony Augelli, owner of Anthony Pontiac/GMC/Buick in Gurnee.

Raising money for any good cause in a down economy is only possible by building relationships throughout the years, said Rivera, who recently jointed the First Tee program through Foss Park District in North Chicago.

"My wife and I do this together," Rivera said. "We don't want other parents to go through what we did."

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Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria - Tuscaloosa News

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 06:26 AM PST

"I can take any standard diagnostic procedure and there's typically a five- to tenfold difference in the cost of that identical procedure, whether it's an M.R.I., CT scan, a diagnostic catheterization, a colonoscopy, you name it," says Mr. Burd, the chief executive of Safeway.

Four years ago, Mr. Burd, whose grocery chain is the nation's third largest, became something of health care expert when his company saw a looming financial crisis. In 2005, Safeway was forking over $1 billion a year to provide health insurance for its workers, and the cost was rising 10 percent a year. It was Mr. Burd's moment of truth: he realized he could no longer stand by as health care costs ballooned.

"We were saying 'Wow, we're paying almost twice in health care costs as what we're making in earnings, and in five years it's going to be another half a billion dollars,' " he recalls.

Similar sticker shock is confronting all kinds of employers, which together provide 160 million Americans with health care coverage. But the cost of delivering that insurance has surged 31 percent over the last five years, representing the fastest-growing single corporate expense, according to Towers Perrin, the management consulting firm. Those costs take a huge bite out of the bottom line and hurt employees, many of whom see their paychecks shrink as employers pass along the extra costs.

Shelly Wolff, head of the health and productivity consulting group at Watson Wyatt, says she has seen C.E.O.'s who've dealt adeptly with tough issues like climate change become completely flummoxed by health care. "It's a board-level deal for most companies," she says. "A lot of companies are saying 'What do you do with health care?' "

In home offices around Boston, a shoestring operation of three full-time employees is working on an unusual answer to that question. As the wrangling over trillion-dollar price tags continues on Capitol Hill, a start-up company called the Full Yield is undertaking its own version of health care reform by using a simple, low-tech premise: Eat healthier food and you'll become healthier.

The idea is to help companies move their employees to better diets that, the logic goes, will ultimately reduce their visits to the doctor's office and the operating room — thus cutting costs.

"We need to put food back in the heart of health care," says Zoe Finch Totten, Full Yield's chief executive. "It's the cheapest way to deal with health and the simplest, and definitely the most pleasurable."

OVER the last six years, Ms. Totten, an associate at the Jefferson School of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and a nurse midwife by training, has been working to create a 12-month nutritional program different from anything that's been tried in the workplace before.

Part one of its two-pronged approach is a line of Full Yield-branded food intended to take the guesswork out of what constitutes a healthy diet, while also reducing the need for cooking, which so many workers say they have no time for. Consisting of fresh items made with natural, whole ingredients, the food will be sold in corporate cafeterias and in the prepared-foods section of local supermarkets.

Unlike most corporate nutrition and weight-loss programs, which offer predictable prescriptions about portion size and calorie control, Ms. Totten's plan allows employees surprising amounts of free rein in deciding how much to eat. "You can eat when you're hungry, as much as you want, as long as you pay attention to when you're full," she advises. "And then you can eat again whenever you feel hungry."

This may be music to participants' ears, but it's a controversial message that runs counter to the advice of many nutrition and obesity experts.

F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, director of the New York Obesity Research Center and chief of the division of endocrinology, diabetes and nutrition at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, says it's an inappropriate message in a nation full of overeaters. "It just isn't true that people stop when they should," says Dr. Pi-Sunyer. "Americans are overriding their satiety signals. So to say eat until you're satiated is not a helpful health message."

But Ms. Totten contends that overeating doesn't result from a nationwide failure to count calories, but from the fact that so many people consume a diet of processed, refined foods. "People overeat Doritos because those foods are designed to trick the body's beautiful ability to be able to self-regulate," she said. "When you eat primarily health-supporting foods you will recover those protective mechanisms."

Those who make that change and join the program are urged to eat Full Yield's food or their own similarly whole-food-based choices exclusively for at least three months.

Part two of the program involves tracking those employees' progress by collecting a variety of data about them and partnering with insurers to analyze it.

"A lot of employers are doing these modest and piecemeal efforts at wellness and they have not worked," said Gary Hirshberg, the chief executive of Stonyfield Farm, a yogurt maker, and a member of Full Yield's board. "This is a comprehensive health management program with food as the base. And it's going to save companies a lot of money."

Groupe Danone, Stonyfield's parent company, has invested "seven figures" in the Full Yield, according to Mr. Hirshberg.

If Ms. Totten and Mr. Hirshberg are correct, the potential for health care savings is huge. A study in the January-February 2009 issue of the journal Health Affairs concluded that 75 percent of the country's $2.5 trillion in health care spending has to do with four increasingly prevalent chronic diseases: obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Most cases of these diseases, the report stated, are preventable because they are caused by behaviors like poor diets, inadequate exercise and smoking.

Obesity alone threatens to overwhelm the system. In a recent study, Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy and management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, found that if trends continued, annual health care costs related to obesity would total $344 billion by 2018, or more than 20 percent of total health care spending. (It now accounts for 9 percent.)

Dr. Thorpe also said that if the incidence of obesity fell to its 1987 level, it would free enough money to cover the nation's uninsured population.

At first blush, the notion of eating our way out of huge public health challenges like obesity, diabetes and heart disease may seem an overly simplistic and idealistic fix for complex, multifaceted problems. But health experts say that, in fact, an apple a day does keep the doctor away, and that many studies prove it.

Dean Ornish, president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says he has spent the better part of two decades doing research showing that diet and lifestyle changes can undo even severe heart disease.

"Within a month, we've shown improved blood flow and 90 percent reduction in the frequency of angina," he says. "And within a year we've found that severely blocked arteries became measurably less blocked. We know this stuff works."

More recently, Dr. Ornish says, he has published research showing that some of those same diet and lifestyle changes can actually turn on genes that prevent disease and turn off those that cause heart disease, as well as prostate and breast cancers.

BUT, of course, persuading people to trade French fries and doughnuts for kale and quinoa is much easier said than done. Market researchers in the food industry have long known that people often say they will eat healthier or exercise more but never get around to it.

In spite of the increased incidence of obesity in American society and in the workplace, 40 percent of large companies surveyed by Watson Wyatt for an April report say that less than 5 percent of their employees participated in workplace weight management programs.

"A lot of us have piles in our homes and our offices that we'll get to when we can, and changing how you eat is often a bit like that," says Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents large employers on health care matters. "I don't think you could possibly overestimate how hard this stuff is."

Despite the considerable challenges, there are notable examples of companies that have successfully prodded their workers to become healthier, thus trimming health care costs.

I.B.M., for example, says that from 2005 to 2007 it invested $80 million in what are broadly defined as employee wellness programs, and thereby saved $190 million in health care costs. Some $79 million of that was in fewer medical claims; the rest came from reduced absenteeism and "presenteeism" — a measure of lost productivity when employees are sick on the job. "A relatively small investment can have a big payoff," says Joyce Young, I.B.M.'s director of well-being.

That was certainly the case for Diane Akin, a product quality manager in I.B.M.'s storage technology division in Tucson. This year, she received $300 in rebates from I.B.M. for completing online programs in physical activity, nutrition and preventive care, courses that inspired her to go on an exercise and nutrition kick.

"I lost 40 pounds and my cholesterol and blood pressure are down," says Ms. Akin, who is in her mid-50s. "I don't think I would have done it otherwise. The incentives, all the online support groups and goal-setting and monitoring really helped."

Ms. Akin added that she was no longer worried about becoming diabetic, a condition that could have hit I.B.M. with an annual bill of as much as $20,000 in treatment costs.

Similar incentive programs at Pitney Bowes have helped it shell out 18 percent less than what the average large employer does in per-capita health care costs, according to Brent Pawlecki, its medical director.

In addition to online programs with financial incentives, as well as smoking-cessation and weight-loss plans, the company's wellness programs include eight on-site health clinics for treating common illnesses, as well as reduced co-payments on medications for diabetes, asthma, hypertension and breast cancer.

Perhaps the biggest corporate success story is Safeway, a rarity among big employers in that it has kept per-capita health care costs from rising. Annual costs at the chain, based in Pleasanton, Calif., are roughly the same as they were in 2005, when Mr. Burd decided to tackle the issue.

He says Safeway has achieved this leveling by shifting its plan toward cheaper generic drugs and through the company's voluntary Health Measures plan, in which employees are checked for their weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and whether they smoke. For each test that's passed, workers are rewarded with reductions in their payroll contributions to health care coverage. For individual plans, this can add up to almost $800 a year.

But analysts say Safeway, I.B.M. and Pitney Bowes are exceptions. Aside from chipping away at employee benefits, most employers have not made much of a dent in their health care bills. Although "wellness" and "lifestyle improvement" programs are common — 60 percent of big employers have them — companies continue to pay more and more in medical costs. This year, costs went up 6 percent, on average, according to Watson Wyatt.

IT'S a Thursday morning, and Ms. Totten of the Full Yield is lugging a canvas bag full of fruit scones and a cooler stocked with Greek yogurt parfaits along the streets of Boston. She is on her way to a meeting at one of the company's first three customers: John Hancock, the life insurance and financial services company.

Ms. Totten usually shows up at these meetings with goody bags of Full Yield food, often containing breakfast, lunch and dinner. Developed by a large food service company and produced at its facility in Connecticut, the choices may include turkey chili, quinoa salads, salmon cakes, chicken tagine, mixed bean wraps and whole-grain peanut butter cookies.

Peter Mongeau, vice president of human resources at John Hancock, has sampled the food many times and calls it "outstanding."

"For me, it was like going to a fine restaurant," says Mr. Mongeau, among the 300 employees who will be going on the Full Yield program early next year.

To encourage the purchase of Full Yield food, which is priced at $6 to $7 a meal, employees will get $100 worth of coupons that can be used in John Hancock's cafeteria and at 18 local Roche Brothers grocery stores.

Another Full Yield pilot customer is the City of Boston. Meredith Weenick, associate director in its office of administration and finance, says she was drawn to the plan's more scientific components. Employees who volunteer to participate will have seven or eight biometric measurements taken at least three times in the 12-month program.

Some of these measurements — for cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index — are commonly collected by employers with extensive wellness programs. But other measures chart new territory, by looking at triglycerides; blood glucose; waist circumference; C-reactive protein, which tests for inflammation; and hemoglobin A1C, if someone's diabetic.

Such data, along with what participants provide in detailed diet diaries and health risk assessments, won't be accessible to employers. Instead, Full Yield researchers, along with Harvard Pilgrim — which is the insurance company for Hancock and the City of Boston and is a pilot customer itself — will analyze the data against insurance claims to gauge improvements in health.

As part of the program, the Full Yield will give employees access to nutrition coaches by phone, as well as personalized online health pages containing the biometric data, exercise and eating tracking tools and information on things like how to cook whole grains and make salad dressing.

Noting that the pilot programs have yet to start, John Hancock, the City of Boston and Harvard Pilgrim all say they don't want to reveal specific projections about savings. Ms. Weenick says she thinks that "plenty" of the city's 750 initial enrollees will lose weight, lower their cholesterol and blood pressure and bolster their overall energy levels.

"We feel certain this will have an effect on our bottom line," she says, "but it will probably take a few years to get there."

Judith Frampton, vice president for medical management at Harvard Pilgrim, says that when it offers the Full Yield plan to its 1,100 employees in January, she believes it will succeed in attracting and retaining participants where other programs have failed. That's because all those unconventionally cheery messages about food consumption will be a source of inspiration, she says.

"I think weight loss is more than likely to be an outcome, but this isn't really about that," she says. "It's about adding things to your life and feeling better psychologically and physically. It's a hugely important message."

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Friday, November 27, 2009

plus 2 more, “H1N1 Health Alert: Children With Asthma At Greater Risk From H1N1 ... - Medical News Today”

H1N1 Health Alert: Children With Asthma At Greater Risk From H1N1 ... - Medical News Today
Exposure to Both Traffic, Indoor Pollutants Puts Some Kids at Higher ... - Science Daily
H1N1 death shows risk remains - Niagara Review

H1N1 Health Alert: Children With Asthma At Greater Risk From H1N1 ... - Medical News Today

Posted: 26 Nov 2009 11:55 PM PST

Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma; Pediatrics / Children's Health; Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 27 Nov 2009 - 0:00 PST

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Children with asthma are at greater risk to develop serious symptoms from H1N1 (swine) flu than from seasonal flu, according to a new study. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a new Canadian study found that children hospitalized with H1N1 were more likely to have asthma (22%) compared to children hospitalized with seasonal flu (6%). However, severity of asthma did not seem to affect risk for H1N1. Children with asthma are among the high-risk groups the CDC has recommended be top priority to receive the H1N1 vaccine. Vaccination is the best protection against both H1N1 and seasonal influenza, and parents and caregivers of children with asthma are recommended to have their children vaccinated. To find out where to get an H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccination, visit http://www.flucliniclocator.org or contact your local department of health.

Parents of children with asthma should monitor their child's health closely for signs of influenza. Symptoms of influenza include:

- Sudden onset of high fever
- Headache, muscle aches and joint pain
- Cough (usually dry)
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion and runny nose

If your child experiences these symptoms-or exhibits signs of worsening asthma-contact your health care provider immediately. If a child with asthma does become sick with the flu, they should continue taking their normal medications, unless recommended otherwise by their healthcare provider.

Remember these tips to protect your health and prevent spread of the flu:

- Get vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu.
- Remember to cover your nose and mouth with your arm when you cough or sneeze.
- Frequently wash your hands with soap and water.
- Alcohol-based hand cleaners are effective when washing is not possible.
- Avoid large crowds if possible. Ask family and friends to be mindful of your higher risk and not expose you to their sickness if they are ill.
- The CDC recommends staying home if you have flu like symptoms for seven days or until you are clear of symptoms for 24 hours.
- Always watch for public health advisories, as these recommendations may change.

For those with asthma, please remember to refer to and maintain your Asthma Action Plan as necessary. The American Lung Association has a template you can download to create your Asthma Action Plan here.

For Related information about Influenza and H1N1 please visit:

http://www.lungusa.org
http://www.facesofinfluenza.org
http://www.flu.gov

Source
American Lung Association

Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions. Contact Our News Editors For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

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Exposure to Both Traffic, Indoor Pollutants Puts Some Kids at Higher ... - Science Daily

Posted: 23 Nov 2009 03:59 PM PST

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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H1N1 death shows risk remains - Niagara Review

Posted: 27 Nov 2009 03:58 AM PST

PUBLIC HEALTH

Posted By RAY SPITERI , REVIEW STAFF WRITER

Posted 1 hour ago

The H1N1-related death Sunday of a Welland man in his mid-30s is further proof the virus is still around and dangerous.

"I don't think we're at the end of the story of all of the death, disability and illness from the previous wave," said Dr. Robin Williams, Niagara's medical officer of health.

"There are still some sick individuals in hospital and it has had serious impact on the

targeted groups all across Ontario. It will be a while until we have the full perspective and analysis, not only for Niagara but for the whole province and the whole country. We'll have to stay posted on some of that."

Niagara's public health department confirmed Wednesday an adult male from the Welland area died from the virus Sunday -the third H1N1-related fatality in the region since the virus arrived in the spring.

Raymond Banks died after a battle with H1N1.

While the Niagara public health department did not confirm the man's identity due to confidentiality rules, they did say the person who died had an underlying health condition - asthma.

"We don't really want to be contradicting information (the family) may perhaps be providing," spokeswoman Carrie Beatty said.

"We don't want it to seem we're pointing fingers but based on the information we have and the case we're reporting, we would consider the person to have underlying health conditions."

Mild asthma, obesity, even pregnancy, can make someone susceptible to H1N1, though no one understands yet why, Williams said.

Banks' mother, Linda Banks, told Sun Media the family included the cause of death in his newspaper obituary to reinforce to people how serious the pandemic strain of influenza can be.

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Public health officials have not yet determined whether to extend the agency's H1N1 vaccination clinics beyond Dec. 4.

"It will depend on ongoing uptake at the clinics this week and next," said Williams. "We're still immunizing around 1,000 or more a day at the various clinic sites, so (that's) not to be sniffed at."

As of Wednesday, more than 84,000 people in Niagara -roughly 20% of the population -have been vaccinated against H1N1 through public health clinics, family physicians, hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Public health has distributed more than 76,000 doses of the vaccine to doctors, hospitals and long-term care homes.

The vaccine is available to everyone. No appointment is required to attend public health clinics. People are asked to bring their health card and driver's licence. Visit www.niagararegion.ca for clinic dates and locations.

Also, Urgent Care Niagara on Valley Way, near Drummond Road, is working with public health providing seven-day-a-week walk-in, fast-track H1N1 shots for all patients. Monday to Friday from 9 a. m. to 8 p. m. and weekends from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. People can also pre-register at www.fastwebcheckin.com/ucn

Meanwhile, life seems to be returning to normal at the Niagara Health System after a recent surge that saw nurses calling in sick and more people showing up at hospitals with flu-like symptoms.

The hospital system had to bring staff in on overtime to ensure essential services were covered. That meant cancelling some non-emergency surgeries.

Stricter infection control measures reduced the number of visitors to hospitals, enforcement of handwashing for those who did visit and, in some cases, required they wear medical masks.

Patient volumes at emergency departments have now stabilized, while the NHS has also returned to regular practices, said Anne Atkinson, the health system's vice-president of patient services.

"Currently, we have 11 suspected or confirmed H1N1 cases across our three larger sites," she said.

That's down from the 17 inpatients in Niagara hospitals Monday with suspected or confirmed H1N1. One was in an intensive care unit on a ventilator.

"In our critical-care areas, we have three (suspected or confirmed) patients across our three larger sites but none require mechanical ventilation at this time."

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

plus 3 more, “Social factors influence neighbourhood asthma rates - canada.com”

Social factors influence neighbourhood asthma rates - canada.com
Children who wake frequently at night at 'double risk of asthma' - Independent
I’ll kick my asthma into touch – just like Becks - The Sun
A Healthy Luxury. Warmup Floor Heating Now Recommended by Asthma ... - Earthtimes

Social factors influence neighbourhood asthma rates - canada.com

Posted: 26 Nov 2009 02:05 AM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Childhood asthma is less common in neighbourhoods with high economic potential and strong community vitality, new research shows.

"It's nice to be able to look at some positive characteristics of neighbourhoods that may protect against asthma," Dr. Ruchi S. Gupta, of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, one of the researchers on the study, told Reuters Health. "We're always looking at negative characteristics."

While the role of economic and environmental factors in childhood asthma have been studied extensively, there has been very little investigation of how social factors might influence the prevalence of the disease, Gupta and her associates note in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

They previously demonstrated sharp differences in asthma prevalence among Chicago neighbourhoods and in the current study looked at whether community characteristics might explain these differences.

The researchers analyzed asthma screening surveys of 45,177 children attending Chicago public schools conducted between 2003 and 2005, and then mapped all of the children into 287 different neighbourhoods. They ranked the neighbourhoods in four groups based on asthma cases.

They found that neighbourhoods with low asthma prevalence had higher scores on the Community Vitality Index, which combines ratings for social capital, economic potential, and community amenities. They also had higher economic potential.

The strongest factor, which remained after the researchers adjusted for the racial makeup of the neighbourhoods, was social capital, which measures the degree of civic engagement among residents along with other factors.

The findings point to policy changes at the community level that could help reduce asthma prevalence, Gupta said. "It's not like you're going to be able to go in and give everyone a job, but you can empower people to make positive changes in their neighbourhoods," she explained.

The researchers also found, surprisingly, that more stable communities and those that scored higher on measures of neighbourhood interaction had a higher prevalence of asthma.

Gupta noted that the neighbourhood interaction score was based in part on having a higher percentage of households with at least one member who was not working, as well as a lower percentage of single-person households.

"Although one can understand how these factors may lead to increased interaction, they may also signify crowding and poverty," the investigators point out. And the less-frequent household turnover in more stable households may mean that thorough cleanings occur less often, giving mold and cockroaches a better opportunity to take hold.

SOURCE: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, June 2009.

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Children who wake frequently at night at 'double risk of asthma' - Independent

Posted: 26 Nov 2009 01:22 AM PST

Children who wake up frequently through the night may have double the chance of developing asthma, research has found.

Children who woke up twice or more times a week up to the age of three were twice as likely to go on to develop asthma, the teams from Australia and Canada found.

The findings have surprised experts who previously thought the connection between sleep patterns and asthma was that the wheezing symptoms were what was causing children to wake.

The study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, followed 2,400 children in Australia from birth to age 14 with their mothers filling out detailed questionnaires about the child's sleep patterns, their pregnancy, family lifestyle and any other medical conditions.

They found at age one, a third of children woke up at night more than twice a week which dropped by 27 per cent by age three.

The children who had broken sleep up to the age of three were more than twice as likely to be receiving treatment for asthma at age 14. The effect remained even after taking into account other factors that associated with asthma such as breastfeeding and sleeping with parents.

The link was found only with non-allergic asthma, the form of the disease brought on by cold weather, exercise, or infection and not with the allergic form, where wheezing is in reaction to pets or pollen.

Lead author Anita Kozyrskyj, of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, said: "A reduction in the number of hours of sleep had already been blamed for ADHD and child obesity, but to our knowledge this is the first time the onset of asthma has been associated with broken sleep."

She said certain chemicals produced by the body encourage inflammation and are involved in both sleep control and sensitivity of the airways, which could be the reason for the link.

"The link between stress and asthma is well established, although the relationship is still not fully understood. Part of the link may be due to the effects of stress on the body's immune system and we know that the workings of the immune system can also be affected by sleep.

- Rebecca Smith

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I’ll kick my asthma into touch – just like Becks - The Sun

Posted: 25 Nov 2009 08:57 PM PST

KEANU WILLIAMS is more determined than ever to be a top footballer - now he knows his idol David Beckham has asthma too.

Pictures of Becks puffing on an inhaler caused genuine surprise when they were beamed across the world earlier this week.

Especially when it emerged the England superstar, 34, had suffered from asthma since he was a small boy.

It left many fans wondering why he'd kept the condition hidden for so long.

But it has shown 13-year-old Keanu, of Islington, North London, that his condition need not be a hindrance in his quest to reach the very top.

Keanu, who plays for Watford FC Youth Academy, says: "When I see David Beckham showing his true colours and being open about his asthma, I'm inspired to be even more open about mine."

Keanu was diagnosed with the condition aged just two and admits it has been hard to deal with.

But the midfield star adds: "It's never held me back. It's linked to my hay fever so it's worse in the spring and summer but I take each day as it comes and always have my inhaler to hand.

"People used to pick on me when I was younger and treat me like I had some kind of disease. But with my mum and dad's support I've always known that wasn't true.

"Now, when people try to make something of it I just explain what asthma actually is and how it's nothing to be ashamed of and they quickly shut up.

"For anyone else who has asthma I would just say to deal with it openly and be yourself."

Beckham's spokesman Simon Oliveira said Becks had "never sought to make it public - but if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things, then so much the better".

Becks, who rejoins AC Milan in January, is not the only high profile sportsman who has asthma.

Fellow footballers Paul Scholes of Manchester United and Chelsea's Frank Lampard, Britain's Olympic marathon runner Paula Radcliffe and former rugby ace Austin Healey all used inhalers to keep them at the top of their sports.

So is there anything to hide?

Erica Evans, chief asthma nurse with Asthma UK, says the stigma is "nonsense".

She explains: "The biggest problem is with parents and teachers fretting about children with asthma doing sport when, with the right medication, there's absolutely no reason why they can't excel like anyone else. More than 20 per cent of Great Britain's 2004 Olympic squad had asthma - almost twice the proportion of people in the general population with the condition - so it could be seen as a motivating factor.

"There are possibly tens of thousands of people who haven't been diagnosed with asthma because they think it's seen as somehow being weak, when that couldn't be further from the truth."

Erica revealed that exercise is a trigger for asthmatic symptoms in three-quarters of sufferers because the rush of air can irritate the sensitive airways. She says: "But the worst thing you can do as an asthmatic is to give up on exercise - your body and lungs can cope better with asthma if you're physically fit. Sufferers, like David Beckham, know that with a preventer steroid inhaler their lungs won't be as sensitive and it won't impact on their sport.

"If there were any feelings of tightness during a match sufferers can use a reliever inhaler.

"Too many asthmatics use their condition as an excuse, when we all get out of breath if we're unfit, and we all have sensitive airways when we're out running on a cold day."

While there are very mild side-effects for some inhaler users - such as slight hand tremors because of the adrenaline-like effects of the steroids - the risks are far outweighed by those of having a full-blown attack.

Erica adds: "More than 1,200 people died in the UK last year of asthma attacks.

"The majority of which could have been prevented with the right medication.

"Getting diagnosed is the first step, then using your preventer inhaler regularly, even when you feel like you're 'better' - with the right management programme in place, there's no reason why asthmatics shouldn't follow and achieve all their dreams."

Just like Keanu.

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A Healthy Luxury. Warmup Floor Heating Now Recommended by Asthma ... - Earthtimes

Posted: 26 Nov 2009 12:11 AM PST

Warmup in New Zealand has recently undertaken a partnership with the Asthma & Respiratory Foundation. The organisation is committed to finding new solutions for people with these conditions and have identified floor heating as one of the viable options. Warmup® Floor Heating is the foundation's sole recommendation for the undertile and undercarpet heating category.

(PRWEB) November 26, 2009 -- Warmup in New Zealand has recently undertaken a partnership with the Asthma & Respiratory Foundation. The organisation is committed to finding new solutions for people with these conditions and have identified floor heating as one of the viable options. Warmup® Underfloor Heating is the foundation's sole recommendation for the undertile and undercarpet heating category. Thanks to its radiant heating patterns, underfloor heating reduces the circulation of airborne allergens like dust which could trigger health problems such as asthma.

Apart from being better for your health a clever way to add luxury to your floors is the addition of floor heating. After all, the only thing better than a gorgeous floor is a warm, gorgeous floor. Particularly in colder climates where winters are a lengthy half-year affair, underfloor heating will enable you to enjoy those beautiful tiles for longer.

Award-winning Warmup® electric underfloor heating is available in both loose cable and mat forms to suit different projects. A large or regular-shaped area can be quickly covered with a mat while a smaller room with units could benefit from the additional flexibility offered by the loose wire. Room size is not a problem as Warmup offers a full range of safety-approved systems to cover areas from 0.5m² upwards.

Warmup® underfloor heating boasts a host of advantages from more comfortable warmth to greater interior design freedom.

Spanning the entire floor means that underfloor heating is very effective for keeping floors dry, especially ideal for busy bathrooms. The radiant heating method of heating also eliminates draughts typically associated with conventional radiators. This in turn reduces airborne allergens such as dust, making the home environment healthier.

With Warmup, the underfloor heating is operated in zones by separate thermostats. This individualistic control allows for usage tailored to your lifestyle and improves heating efficiency. Lower wastage translates simply into greater cost and energy savings.

For all the benefits, Warmup® underfloor heating is highly affordable, both to install and to run. Prices begin at less than $400 including the heater, programmable thermostat and VAT, while running costs are also very low. There are also no maintenance costs involved.

If you would like to find out more about installing electric floor heating in your home, simply call Warmup on 0845 345 2288 or visit www.warmup.com to chat with a live consultant. Our team of highly trained professionals can assist with technical queries and provide a free quote for your project, offering support right through even after installation.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

plus 2 more, “David Beckham Suffers From Asthma - femalefirst.co.uk”

David Beckham Suffers From Asthma - femalefirst.co.uk
Grant to help children with asthma in the Hill - New Pittsburgh Courier
Why did Beckham keep quiet about his asthma? - FansOnLine.net

David Beckham Suffers From Asthma - femalefirst.co.uk

Posted: 25 Nov 2009 04:01 AM PST

Today 11:49

Sporting hero David Beckham has revealed his long term battle with asthma.

The secret was exposed last night as the superstar was snapped using an inhaler during the Major League Soccer Cup final in Seattle and Beckham's agent has confirmed the superstar has had the condition 'since he was a young boy'.

Like Beckham, asthmatics can learn how to control the condition to minimise its affects on their everyday lives. More than 5.2 million people in the UK are treated for asthma and Boots pharmacist Angela Chalmers, also an asthma suffer, says, 'A number of asthmatics I see don't have the right technique.' But when the correct medication and technique are used, sufferers don't need to shy away from sports.

"Inhalation should be slow and steady with the patient holding the inhaled breath in for five seconds before breathing out.

"In this way you create a wind tunnel through your airways and your lungs which are then relaxed and open up. You should always wait for 60 seconds before repeating the process.!

'Another reason people with asthma have difficulty controlling symptoms is because they under-use their preventers and over-use their relievers.
Relievers should also be used around 15 minutes before coming into contact with known triggers, such as before exercise;' says Angela.

'Using a preventer helps children to get their asthma under control and helps them to participate in sport and lead a 'normal' life. Having to use an inhaler can make a child feel different, however if you are concerned you should always seek further advice from your healthcare professional.

"The preventers protective effects take a week to kick in and build up over time. Its use can help stop the airways from being sensitive to asthma triggers.

'Older people who have problems with coordination, often find a breath-activated inhaler easier to manage or they can be given a spacer.

"Children as young as three can also learn to use an inhaler with a spacer, and for babies and very young children a face mask can be attached.

'If you suffer from asthma, visit your pharmacist or GP. We can help you get the best results from your medication. With the correct treatment, support and advice most asthmatics can lead full and active lives, and like so many treatments it is all about compliance.'

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Grant to help children with asthma in the Hill - New Pittsburgh Courier

Posted: 24 Nov 2009 08:44 PM PST

Responding to studies showing that one out of every 13 children in school has asthma, McAuley Ministries, the grantmaking arm of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, has announced a $150,000 grant over three years to Healthy Home Resources to improve the health of low-income asthmatic children.

The amount is part of nine grants totaling $1,192,540 awarded to address the health and wellness, community development, educational achievement and capacity needs of non-profits in Pittsburgh's Hill District, Uptown and West Oakland neighborhoods.

Healthy Home Resources received partial funding for their Asthma Trigger Home Evaluation program, which for the past six years has addressed the rise in illnesses caused or complicated by the presence of indoor allergens. Up to 300 children will receive assistance through this expanded effort, including children in 75 families in McAuley Ministries' target area.

"McAuley Ministries welcomes opportunities to create partnerships with organizations interested in developing healthy, safe and vibrant communities," said Michele Rone Cooper, executive director of McAuley Ministries. "And there's a real need because left unchecked, a child's asthma leads to missed school days and educational disparities, increased time spent in emergency rooms, higher health care costs, and a lessening of physical activity that can lead to obesity.

"According to our analysis of 2008 health care usage, residents with asthma from the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland generated 684 physician office visits, 99 emergency visits, 26 inpatient discharges, and 156 hospital outpatient visits."

Healthy Home Resources staff first inspects houses and apartments, educates families on how to reduce or eliminate asthma triggers, and provides cleaning supplies including a HEPA vacuum and air purifier, dehumidifier, professional dust mop and allergen trapping bed covers.

The U.S. government has identified asthma as a top research priority; studies suggest that people with low socioeconomic status and families living in inner- cities are more likely to be affected by asthma due to higher exposure of environmental risk factors. A report from the American Lung Association shows children ages 5-17 have a significantly higher rate of asthma than any other age group, with the greatest prevalence in African-Americans.

"We are grateful for McAuley Ministries' commitment to investing resources and improving the lives of people from all backgrounds," said Dr. Michael J. Tobin, executive director of Healthy Home Resources.

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Why did Beckham keep quiet about his asthma? - FansOnLine.net

Posted: 24 Nov 2009 02:39 PM PST

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If you would like to run a site for a team not already featured on FansOnline, please get in touch and we will be happy to create the site for you.

Click here to contact us if you have what it takes to become a fansonline site manager

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

plus 3 more, “Beckham is 'long-term asthma sufferer' - YAHOO!”

Beckham is 'long-term asthma sufferer' - YAHOO!
SDSU Offers H1N1 Vaccine - NBC San Diego
UH professor tackles asthma, undergraduate research - College Media Network
Maternal Depression Can Stress Child’s Health - Psych Centra

Beckham is 'long-term asthma sufferer' - YAHOO!

Posted: 24 Nov 2009 04:38 AM PST

Rick buzzed up: Atlanta cops, shaken community try to make amends (AP)

26 seconds ago 2009-11-24T07:04:48-08:00

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SDSU Offers H1N1 Vaccine - NBC San Diego

Posted: 24 Nov 2009 05:28 AM PST

Latino's more at risk countywide.

By SUSAN TAYLOR

Updated 5:30 AM PST, Tue, Nov 24, 2009

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Nearly half of the people who have died of swine flu in San Diego County were Latinos. That's according to the County Health Department which reports that it's not ethnicity putting Latinos at risk, but other health and social factors.

Latinos make up a quarter of the county's three million residents but account for 15 of the 33 deaths attributed to the H1N1 virus.

Swine flu shots will be given again tomorrow at San Diego State University. The school sent an e-mail to students informing them vaccines would be available starting Monday to people in high risk groups. That group includes pregnant women, people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma, health care workers and nursing students.

"We did leave out healthy people 24 and under for today's vaccination because we just didn't know what the demand was going to be. We will be opening it up to that group starting on Monday," said Dr. Greg Lichtenstein with SDSU's Health Services.

The University had ordered 15,000 doses and received about third of that. The shots are being given outside the student health services building.

First Published: Nov 23, 2009 9:00 PM PST

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UH professor tackles asthma, undergraduate research - College Media Network

Posted: 24 Nov 2009 03:41 AM PST

Dan Price, Honors College faculty member and author of Touching Difficulty: Sacred Form from Plato to Derrida hosted a forum Thursday where 16 health experts from Galveston, Houston, and Baylor College of Medicine attended to speak on the subject of asthma.

Price said the roundtable wass not restricted to people who have asthma. The discussion focused on public health, issues, scientific research, and what it means to address problems like asthma from within different perspectives in the University.

"This project responds to several priorities at the Honors College and the University," Price said. "It emphasizes undergraduate research both by bringing potential mentors together with students and by providing opportunities for non-mentored research."

In addition to this free informative session, a new research course will be offered Spring 2010 on asthma, titled Asthmatic Spaces: Houston/New York.

"The Asthmatic Spaces Houston/New York project pushes into new ground, moreover, because it really emphasizes the creative possibilities of collaboration within new technological platforms," Price said. "The Asthma Files is a larger web-based project for hosting information on the variety of approaches to air quality, environmental justice, public health, pharmacology, biology and social science approaches to asthma."

Among the experts who attended the roundtable are Elena Marks and Winnie Hamilton.

Marks is in charge of the environmental policy under Mayor Bill White. She spoke of the benefits of science to produce innovative ways to address the problems of pollution and public health.

Hamilton, the director of the Institute of Environmental Health at BCM spoke of new places in Houston where students can actively participate in learning about asthma and the surrounding environment.

Other discussions included the complexities of biological issues and medical concerns in science.

"The RPI department of Science and Technology Studies is trailblazing in its efforts to understand how science works, and what it means for innovation to arise from creative collaboration," Price said. "Their participation is especially important, as they provided the conceptual groundwork for exploring asthma as a problem area to which a large variety of different sciences could respond."

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Maternal Depression Can Stress Child’s Health - Psych Centra

Posted: 23 Nov 2009 07:27 PM PST

Maternal Depression Can Stress Child's Health A new report finds maternal depression can worsen asthma symptoms in their children.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center analyzed data from interviews with 262 mothers of African-American children with asthma — a population disproportionately affected by this inflammatory airway disorder.

The investigators found that children whose mothers had more depressive symptoms had more frequent asthma symptoms during the six months of the study.

Conversely, children whose mothers reported fewer depressive symptoms had less frequent asthma symptoms.

Researchers tracked ups and downs in maternal depression as related to the frequency of symptoms among children.

"Even though our research was not set up to measure just how much a mom's depression increased the frequency of her child's symptoms, a clear pattern emerged in which the latter followed the earlier," says senior investigator Kristin Riekert, Ph.D.

Surprisingly, a child's symptoms did not seem to affect the mother's depressive symptoms, an important finding that suggests maternal depression is an independent risk factor that can portend a child's symptoms.

Past studies have shown that children with chronic health conditions fare worse if their primary caregiver is depressed, but none have determined how the relationship evolves.

"Intuitively, it may seem that we're dealing with a chicken-egg situation, but our study suggests otherwise," Riekert says.

"The fact that mom's depression was not affected by how often her child had symptoms really caught us off guard, but it also suggested which factor comes first."

Researchers did not study why and how a mother's depression affects a child's asthma status, but because depression often involves fatigue, memory lapses and difficulty concentrating, it can affect a parent's ability to manage the child's chronic condition, which can involve daily, and sometimes complex, drug regimens and frequent visits to the doctor.

"Mom is the one who must implement the doctor's recommendations for treatment and follow-up, and if she is depressed she can't do it well, so the child will suffer," says lead investigator Michiko Otsuki, Ph.D., a behavioral medicine fellow at Johns Hopkins at the time of the study, now at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

The study is published online in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

Investigators say their findings should prompt pediatricians who treat children with asthma to pay close attention to the child's primary caregiver — whether or not it is the mother — and screen and refer them for treatment if needed.

"We ask these parents if they are smokers all the time, so maybe it's time to start asking them if they are coping well emotionally," said co-investigator Arlene Butz, Sc.D., a pediatric asthma specialist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

"Doctors are trained to pick up on subtle clues, so if they see a red flag in mom, they should follow up with a depression screener and referral if needed."

Treating depressed mothers whose children are at high risk for asthma complications will likely benefit both mother and child, researchers say, while providing a clear treatment target to help reduce the burden of asthma in the United States.

The Hopkins study included only mothers but investigators believe a similar pattern would emerge regardless of who the primary caregiver is.

Researchers caution that the mothers in their study were screened for depression with a standard questionnaire, which is a reliable detector of symptoms but not a firm diagnosis.

The Hopkins findings came from a high-risk, inner-city population and thus cannot be statistically extended to other ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but researchers say the effect of caregiver depression on a child's asthma likely transcends demographics.

The research was funded by the National Heart Lung Blood Institute.

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

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