INTRODUCTION Optimal asthma education (comprising of information, self monitoring, regular medical reviews and a written action plan) significantly improves asthma management. The study was undertaken to assess the impact of optimal asthma education programme on asthma morbidity, inhalation technique and asthma knowledge. STUDY DESIGN In non-randomized prospective trial asthma morbidity, (com...

The cellular mechanisms associated with severe asthma are still poorly understood. This study investigated the association between glucocorticoid-receptor (GR) alterations and continuous oral glucocorticoid therapy requirement in severe asthma. GR-binding affinity (Kd) and receptor number (n) in peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) obtained from 10 normal subjects, 10 untreated, intermittent asthma...

A service for 300 adult asthmatics is described. Since the service was started in 1970 only one death has occurred and this patient failed to comply with treatment or advice. Two patients required intermittent positive pressure ventilation. The success of the service is founded on two facts. Firstly, the natural history of life-threatening asthma usually allowed time to change treatment at home...

In recent decades, both asthma prevalence and incidence have been increasing worldwide, not only due to the genetic background, but mainly because of the effect of a wide number of environmental and lifestyle risk factors. In many countries noncommunicable diseases, like asthma, are not yet considered a healthcare priority. This review will analyze and discuss disparities in asthma management i...

OBJECTIVE Elevated values of body mass index (BMI) have been associated with higher prevalence of asthma in adults. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the association between obesity and asthma severity. METHODS Medical records of two hundred patients older than 20 years of age were evaluated retrospectively. Asthma severity was established after the evaluation of the medical history...

BACKGROUND Bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation are distinctive features of asthma. Evaluation of nitric oxide (NO) levels in expired air have been proposed as a reliable method for assessing the airway inflammatory events in asthmatic subjects. A study was undertaken to evaluate whether airway hyperresponsiveness is related to levels of exhaled NO. METHODS Thirty two steroid...

Allergic rhinitis is the most common cause of allergic diseases. The recent guidelines of Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) group, classified it to intermittent (less than 4 days per week and for less than 4 weeks) and persistent (more than 4 days per week or lasting more than 4 weeks regardless of the number of days per week). The present study evaluates the patients with ARIA ...

BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis (AR) and allergic asthma are caused by an IgE-mediated inflammatory reaction. Probiotics may exert anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory activity. Thus, this study aimed at investigating whether a Bifidobacteria mixture could be able to relieve nasal symptoms, and affect quality of life (QoL) in children with AR and intermittent asthma due to Parietaria allergy. ...

Saraya T, et al. BMJ Case Rep 2017. doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-223147 Description An 87-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with progressive dyspnoea on effort over the previous 2 weeks. She had been treated for rheumatoid arthritis with oral prednisolone (5 mg/day) and tacrolimus (2 mg/day). At her first visit, vital signs and physical examination were normal except for slight rhonchi in ant...

It remains controversial whether inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) should be used in patients with intermittent asthma. The present study aimed to assess the effect of ICS compared with placebo or other therapies in patients with intermittent asthma. Medline, Embase and CNKI databases were searched up to June 2016 and a meta-analysis was conducted. The findings demonstrated that in adult patients, w...