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Air Pollution and Asthma

By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 17, 2005

Asthma • FDA Studies Asthma Drug's Potential Suicide Link • Indoor Allergens Torment Asthma Sufferers • Patients Balk at New Asthma Inhalers • Study: Farm Kids Have Lower Risk of Asthma • Researchers Link Spray Cleaners With Asthma • National Study Links Asthma to Allergies • Study Finds High Rate of Asthma in College Athletes • Can an Apple a Day Keep Asthma Away? • Survey Shows Asthma Not Controlled in Majority of Patients • Asthma Patients Pay the Price for Ozone Protection • Asthma Linked to Obesity in Women • Researchers Say "Killer" Asthma Inhalers Should Be Recalled • Asthmatic Kids Need No-Smoking Rules • Study: Asthma Patients Think It's Temporary • Female Hormones May Affect Allergies, Asthma • Home-Based Clean-Ups Help Childhood Asthma, Study Finds • Asthma and Obesity: Is There A Connection? • Bacteria in Household Dust May Trigger Asthma Symptoms • Air Pollution, Asthma May Be Linked • Americans Lack Vital Asthma Info: EPA • Researchers Find Ties Between Asthma and Emotion • A Good Laugh Can Trigger Asthma Attack

Air pollution may cause asthma, not just trigger it, according to an article published in the journal Lancet.

Researchers followed 3,500 9 year of children in 12 Southern California towns for five years. Half of the towns had clean air and half had polluted air. All of the children led active lives participating in sports like baseball, basketball and soccer.

During the study, 265 of the children developed asthma, the vast majority of them from the polluted towns.

These results support the idea that pollution may cause asthma, not just trigger it. That is a big change in our thinking about this epidemic disease.

Asthma affects about 20 million Americans. Nearly half are kids and the number is growing. The disease costs billions of dollars in lost time from work and school as well as medical costs.

Rules and regulations have cut pollution in lots of cities, but there may still be enough dirty air to cause asthma.

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