February 25, 2002 -- Preliminary results of a long-term study show two new ways to reduce asthma severity in inner-city children. Researchers will present these results at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), which takes place at the Hilton New York hotel on March 1-6.
The six-year investigation is part of the ongoing efforts of the Inner-City Asthma Study, a program supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Established in 1991, the Inner-City Asthma Study has involved 12 centers nationwide and about 3,000 children so far. Its primary aim is to find out why asthma disproportionately affects inner-city children and to test new ways to treat the disease.
Since 1996, the current Inner-City Asthma Study has been investigating two methods to improve the health of inner-city children with asthma. The first method, called a physician feedback intervention, involves periodic reports to the childs doctor about the status of the childs asthma. These reports, generated from bi-monthly phone interviews with parents, recommend changes in the childs treatment regimen if warranted. The second method, called an environmental intervention, involves identifying and removing asthma triggers such as cigarette smoke or cockroaches from the childs home.
Initial data suggest these interventions effectively reduce emergency room visits and asthma symptoms for inner-city children. Researchers Wayne J. Morgan, M.D., of the University of Arizona, and Herman E. Mitchell, Ph.D., of Rho Inc., in Chapel Hill, N.C., will present the results at a symposium on Monday, March 4 at 12:15 p.m. Journalists are welcome to attend.
A New Perspective on Asthma
Another symposium at the AAAAI meeting will explore the idea that asthma consists of several subtypes. These include allergic asthma, exercis
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Contact: Jeff Minerd
jminerd@niaid.nih.gov
301-402-1663
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
25-Feb-2002