Dr. Johnson's Allergy Update

Sunshine May Help To Prevent Allergies And Eczema

jen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:23:50 +0000

Increased exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of both food allergies and eczema in children, according to a new scientific study.

Researchers from the European Centre for Environment & Human Health, along with several Australian institutions, have found that children living in areas with lower levels of sunlight are at greater risk of developing food allergies and the skin condition eczema, compared to those in areas with higher UV.

The research team used data from a study of Australian children and analysed how rates of food allergy, eczema and asthma varied throughout the country. As well as finding a link between latitude and allergies to peanut and egg, the results showed that on average children in the south of the country are twice as likely to develop eczema as those in the north.

The report builds upon existing evidence that suggests exposure to the sun may play a role in rising levels of food allergy and eczema. Sunlight is important because it provides our body with the fuel to create vitamin D in the skin, and locations closer to the equator typically receive higher levels of sunshine. Australia is a particularly good place for this type of study as it spans nearly 3000 miles from north to south, with a large variation in climate, day length and sun strength – from Queensland in the north to Tasmania in the south.

Dr Nick Osborne, who led the research, believes these findings provide us with an important insight into the prevalence of food allergies and eczema, which appear to be on the increase. Dr Osborne also cautioned that exposure to sunlight can vary for a host of reasons beyond latitude, such as local climate variations and behaviours, and these factors will also need to be considered.

He said “This investigation has further underlined the association between food allergies, eczema and where you live. We’re now hoping to study these effects at a much finer scale and examine which factors such as temperature, infectious disease or vitamin D are the main drivers of this relationship. As always, care has to be taken we are not exposed to too much sunlight, increasing the risk of skin cancer.”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241212.php

Managing Asthma During Pregnancy

jen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:23:19 +0000

Pregnancy often puts stress on the respiratory system, whether or not a woman has asthma. So it’s understandable that a pregnant asthma-sufferer might worry about complications.

But whether or not a woman’s asthma will worsen when she’s pregnant is still up in the air. Statistics from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) show that while one-third of women with asthma will find that their symptoms worsen during pregnancy, another third will find their symptoms improve.

Work with your doctor to manage your asthma treatment during pregnancy and handle both conditions as well as you can. Breathing freely is important to both mother and baby. “Oxygen received by the fetus can be affected during cases of severe asthma exacerbation,” says Rachel L. Miller, MD, associate professor of medicine and environmental health sciences at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

Pregnancy Asthma: Know the Effects of Asthma and Pregnancy

There are a number of potential risk associated with being pregnant and living with asthma. The combination of uncontrolled asthma and pregnancy can:
• Affect the baby’s growth
• Increase the risk of an early birth
• Increase the risk of pre-eclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure)
• Put the mother at risk of illness and death

For these reasons, the NHLBI recommends that prenatal visits for women with asthma and pregnancy include monitoring of asthma control.

Recommended Care for Asthma and Pregnancy

Pregnancy asthma can affect the oxygen available to the baby. Both NHLBI and the American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists (ACOG) emphasize that controlling the asthma with appropriate medication is safer than risking asthma attacks during pregnancy.

ACOG says that women with asthma can have healthy pregnancies if they follow these guidelines:
• Women with moderate to severe asthma should be monitored for fetal growth restriction and the possibility of early birth.
• Women with asthma should use asthma medication at the lowest dose possible to control their symptoms.

NHLBI notes that albuterol (such as Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, and ProAir) is the preferred short-acting beta-2 antagonist (a class of medication), so choose a “rescue” inhaler with albuterol.

The inhaled corticosteroid budesonide (Pulmicort) has the most data supporting safety during pregnancy as a long-term asthma control medication. Dr. Miller adds, “[Pregnant women] should visit their doctor regularly during pregnancy to ensure their asthma is well-controlled.” When to take medications during pregnancy will vary according to your type of asthma and its severity. Make sure to take them as prescribed by your doctor, says Miller.

Managing Your Asthma and Pregnancy

Besides regularly monitoring your asthma control, taking medications as prescribed, and seeing your doctor for prenatal checkups, you can continue to control your asthma during pregnancy by following these recommendations:
• Avoid all your personal asthma triggers, like second-hand smoke and pet dander.
• Exercise in moderation, and use your medications to control exercise-induced asthma and check in with your doctor about your exercise plans.
• Talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot if you are past your first trimester and it is flu season.
Pregnant women should call their doctors if they have questions or concerns, and should seek medical attention if they are symptomatic or having any breathing difficulties, says Miller.

By working with your doctor to control your asthma and understanding that you may have to take a few extra steps and precautions, you can safely managing your asthma and have a healthy and happy pregnancy.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/asthma/asthma-during-pregnancy.aspx

11 Tips to Reduce Indoor Allergens

jen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:22:03 +0000

Winter brings many people with allergies a break from their symptoms. But for others, winter can be the start of a whole new allergy season. “Winter allergies are typically going to be the indoor allergens such as pets, dust mites, and mold,” says Julie McNairn, MD, an allergist/immunologist in Cincinnati. She says that for people who live in tropical climates, pollen allergies can linger year-round, even through the winter. But in places where temperatures dip in the winter, it’s generally indoor allergens that cause symptoms.

Dust Mites, Dander, Roaches, and Mold

Household dust, pet dander, cockroach droppings, and mold are common indoor allergens that can trigger allergies in susceptible people.
• Dust. Found in all homes, dust is the breeding ground for microscopic organisms called dust mites. The droppings of these dust mites are a common trigger for indoor allergies. Though dust mites can be found just about everywhere, they are particularly common in humid parts of the house and where human dander (flakes of dead skin) collects.
• Animal dander, or the dead skin flakes of warm-blooded animals, contains proteins that can trigger allergies in some people.
• Cockroaches. If you needed another reason to hate them, here it is: A protein that is found in the droppings of cockroaches triggers allergy and asthma symptoms in some people.
• Mold.While many molds do not survive outdoors after the first winter frost, they can linger in your home throughout the winter, especially in humid areas such as basements or bathrooms. “Be very careful if you have a humidifier on your furnace or a room humidifier because you can end up with mold growth,” says Dr. McNairn. Spores released by mold can act as allergens in some people.
Tips for Reducing Indoor Allergies
Here are some ways you can reduce the potential allergens in your home:
• Keep humidity levels low. “Keeping the relative humidity less than 50 percent is going to be important,” says McNairn. You can lower the humidity in your home by using a dehumidifier in damp areas such as a basement.
• Use hardwood, linoleum, or tile. Replace carpeting and rugs with hard-surface flooring. Your carpet and rugs can trap in allergens within the fibers, as opposed to hard surface flooring, which you can regularly dust.
• Clean carpeting. If you are unable or unwilling to remove all carpet, have your carpeting and rugs regularly cleaned to reduce the amount of allergens in them.
• Cover your bedding. Use special allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers under regular sheets and pillowcases.
• Wash bedding. Wash bedding in hot water and dry it on high heat weekly.
• Leave the cleaning to someone else. Have your floors regularly vacuumed with a HEPA (high efficiency particle air) vacuum. “It’s a good idea for the allergic person not to do the cleaning,” says McNairn. “If they do, they should wear a face mask and goggles.” HEPA vacuums suck up smaller particles than do traditional vacuum cleaners, leaving you with fewer allergens left behind.
• Find pets a new home. In the case of animal dander allergies, consider removing a pet from the home or keeping the pet outdoors. And keep pets out of the bedroom.
• Cover food. Store food in tight-lidded containers, and keep your home clean to prevent cockroach infestation.
• Rid the house of cockroaches. If you see a cockroach, have a professional exterminator get rid of any remaining roaches.
• Eliminate visible mold. “Any visible mold should be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution,” says McNairn.
• Consider an indoor air cleaner. “HEPA air cleaners can help with pet dander,” says McNairn. There are many varieties available.

Controlling indoor allergens during the winter months will make life more comfortable for anyone who’s allergic to them. The added bonus: You’ll always have a clean house!

http://www.everydayhealth.com/allergies/winter-indoor-allergens.aspx

Study: Exposure to common air fresheners can cause allergies, asthma

jen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:21:31 +0000

Millions of Americans use scented candles, air freshener sprays, plug-in deodorizers and diffusers to make their living spaces smell clean and pleasant, but are the chemicals in these products safe? New research compiled by scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic suggests that various chemical additives in air fresheners can trigger allergies, asthma and other health problems.

“The chemicals in some of these products can trigger the nasal congestion, sneezing and the runny nose,” said Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist from Emory who helped gather data for the study. “With the asthmatics, there’s really good data showing their lung function changes when they’re exposed to these compounds.”

Many scented air freshener products contain harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, benzene and limonene, which are known to trigger asthma and other respiratory symptoms, as well as eye irritation, bone damage and leukemia. They also contain various other toxic ingredients like benzyl alcohol, camphor, dichlorobenzene, ethanol, naphthalene, phenol and pinene

Even some scented products labeled “natural” contain harmful ingredients like phthalates that can build up in the liver and fatty tissue over time. Phthalate exposure is linked to low sperm counts and reproductive damage. This is why it is always a good idea, even with “natural” products, to verify all ingredients with product manufacturers prior to purchasing them.

In 2007, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested 14 different brands of popular household air freshener products and found that most of them, even those labeled “all natural” or “unscented,” contained dangerous chemicals linked to hormone disruption and reproductive problems.

The worst offender in the test was Walgreens Scented Bouquet Air Freshener, which contained 7,300 parts per million (ppm) of di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), a chemical linked to damaging hormones and impairing genital development, followed by Walgreens Air Freshener Spray with 1,100 ppm of DEP.

“Consumers have a right to know what is put into air fresheners and other everyday products they bring into their homes,” said Dr. Gina Solomon back in 2007. “There are too many products on the shelves that we assume are safe, but have never even been tested. The government should be keeping a watchful eye on these household items and the manufacturers who produce them.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/034181_air_fresheners_allergies.html

Are Food Allergies on the Rise?

jen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:21:00 +0000

Food allergy affects up to 6% of young children and 3.5% of adults in the United States. In contrast to 30 or 40 years ago, it is not uncommon to know a family member, neighbor, or friend affected by a food allergy. There has been a growing concern that this phenomenon represents an increase in the prevalence of food allergies rather than a greater public awareness or better media coverage of the problem.
Based on large-scale population studies, there is good evidence that allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma, and atopic dermatitis (eczema) have increased in the last few decades.
Evidence is now mounting that there is a rise in the occurrence of food allergies that appears to parallel the rise in other allergic diseases. Direct evidence for the increase in food allergies comes from two studies that focus specifically on peanut allergy.
In one study, Jane Grundy of The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre and her colleagues looked at groups of children aged three to four, born at two different time periods on the Isle of Wight in England. There were over 1,000 participants in each group. Parents of these children completed questionnaires about symptoms of allergic diseases, including food allergy. Children also had allergy skin tests performed.
Those with positive skin tests to peanuts who had not had a convincing allergic reaction to peanut, or who had never eaten peanut, were offered food challenges to confirm peanut allergy.
The investigators found that the number of children with reported peanut allergy (by questionnaire) had doubled from 0.5% to 1% over the five-year time period. The proportion of children with positive skin tests to peanut had increased threefold from 1.1% to 3.3%. In children with positive skin tests, the overall estimate of true peanut allergy was 1.5% when adding up those with convincing clinical reactions and positive food challenges.
In the United States, Dr. Scott Sicherer and colleagues, using a nationwide telephone survey with over 10,000 participants, found that the rate of peanut allergy doubled in children from 0.6% to 1.2% over a five-year period.
What is surprising is that only three-quarters of the children and less than half of the adults in this study sought a medical evaluation of the allergy despite reporting severe reactions and multiple reactions during their lifetime.
Of those who did seek medical evaluation, fewer than half received a prescription for self-injectable epinephrine. We still are awaiting studies to be performed regarding the possible increase in prevalence of other common food allergens.
Why are food allergies on the rise?
Several theories have been put forth to attempt to explain the rise in food allergies. One leading theory is the “Hygiene Hypothesis,” first proposed by British researcher Dr. David Strachan in 1989.
This theory states that exposure to certain germs and infections early in life are important in training the immune system to do what it is intended to do— recognize foreign threats to the body. The Western lifestyle of cleanliness and obsession with hygiene has skewed the immune system toward the development of allergic diseases.
Studies done in Europe found that children raised on farms and rural areas, where there was exposure to bacteria from animals, had fewer allergic diseases compared with those living in cities.
Similarly, children who attend childcare or who have older siblings, thus having greater exposure to infections, have a decreased incidence of asthma and wheezing.
Another explanation for the rise in food allergy is introduction of foods too early in an infant’s diet, before the immune system is mature enough to handle them. This could occur through breastfeeding or an unintended exposure to highly processed foods in the Western diet that may contain hidden sources of the allergens.
Cooking practices can also affect the development of food allergies. For example, roasting a peanut enhances its allergenic potential compared to other forms of preparing peanut. Peanut allergy is more common in the U.S. where peanuts are roasted, as compared to China where peanuts are boiled.
What is on the horizon for management and prevention of food allergies?
New treatments of food allergy are emerging. These include procedures for desensitization that change the way the immune system responds to allergens, much in the same way allergy shots work for hayfever.
There are ongoing studies to attempt allergy desensitization by the injection of peanut protein that has been modified to prevent an allergic reaction but is still recognized by the immune system as the food protein. Studies are also ongoing to attempt desensitization by the oral route, where different immune mechanisms are likely at play.
The question remains whether we can combat the rise in food allergies by preventing the occurrence of food allergies in the first place. These include studies with maternal avoidance of common allergy-causing foods during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and delaying introduction of solid food in an infant’s diet. Unfortunately, many of these studies have yielded conflicting results that do not allow us to make definite recommendations other than delaying introduction of solid foods until six months of age.
Nevertheless, the rise in food allergies has created an urgency to understand what makes some foods allergenic and to identify the risk factors of developing food allergies in order to define better strategies for prevention.

http://www.foodallergy.org/page/hot-topics1#foodallergiesontherise

Childhood Asthma Linked to Depression During Pregnancy

jen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:20:37 +0000

Anxiety, stress and depression during pregnancy may lead to a greater risk of asthma for your child, according to researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Study results are published in the July issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
“Approximately 70% of mothers who said they experienced high levels of anxiety or depression while they were pregnant reported their child had wheezed before age 5,” said Marilyn Reyes, senior research worker at the Mailman School of Public Health’s Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH), and lead author of the study. “Understanding how maternal health affects a child’s respiratory health is important in developing effective strategies to prevent asthma.”
The study of 279 inner-city African-American and Hispanic women was conducted before, during pregnancy and after birth. The findings support a growing body of research showing that exposures can influence the risk of developing asthma. While somewhat similar findings have been reported in non-minority populations, this study is the first to report an association between prenatal psychological stress and wheeze in minority populations.
“The symptoms of pediatric asthma can range from a nagging cough that lingers for days or weeks to sudden and scary breathing emergencies,” said allergist/pulmonologist Rachel Miller, MD, Co-Deputy Director of CCCEH and study senior author. “While low-income families experience stressors from many sources that may contribute to adverse health outcomes in children, understanding how children’s health may be influenced by these factors is an important step in developing effective interventions.”
Common asthma symptoms include:
• Coughing, especially at night
• Wheezing or whistling sound, especially when breathing out
• Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly
• Frequent colds that settle in the chest
The study was supported by a grant of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706093938.htm

Honey can help relieve allergy symptoms

jen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:10:39 +0000

Experts say locally grown honey is not just a tasty treat.

With obesity and diabetes reaching epidemic proportions, some shoppers are moving away from processed sugars and turning to honey as a natural sweetener.

Nathan Sheets, owner of Texas’ North Dallas Honey, says there’s a movement away from processed foods toward holistic and organic products.

Local growers say raw honey contains antioxidants and pollen from local vegetation that helps allergy sufferers relieve their symptoms.
“So many of the people who eat North Dallas Honey originally start out eating for allergy purposes, and so, I think that the progression in the food of wanting unprocessed, green food is really just a movement that started a long time ago,” Sheets says.

Chef and dietitian Jennifer Hood said she uses honey in her everyday cooking.

Honey is fresh, natural and very versatile and can be used on its own to highlight the sweetness of products such as brie cheese and cranberry sauce.

Hood says she has also found crowd-pleasing ways to use honey in meat or side dishes and, of course, deserts.

“So going green with honey will be fun and delicious and healthier for the entire family,” she says. “There are numerous recipe books using honey as the key ingredient, and there is nothing better than bringing the whole family together for some sweetness at the table.”

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=137959&catid=8

Blackcurrants Aides Asthma

jen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:10:05 +0000

In a pilot study by the company Plant & Food Research located in New Zealand, has demonstrated that the chemicals in which are found in blackcurrants may aide breathing for persons with certain kinds of asthma.

The researchers had discovered a compound contained within the New Zealand’s blackcurrants possibly has the ability to decrease lung inflammation with several activity battles in allergy induced asthma. This discovered compound heightens the natural defense actions in lung tissue by restraining inflammation producing effects and decreasing the inflammation.

It has already been demonstrated that eating fruit does decrease asthma symptoms in allergy induced asthma however, this is the first research of its kind to give understanding into the system of how this happens. Researchers had determined that the compound of epigallocatechin has the ability to decrease lung tissue inflammation. This compound is a familiar antioxidant and a vital element of proanthocyanidins which are found in blackcurrants.

The study which was headed by Dr. Roger Hurst, had used cells from lung tissues to test the reactions on the immune system proanthocyanidins ample extract which had come from growers of these blackcurrants in New Zealand.

Upon the lungs being exposed to allergens, the bodies natural reaction is to fight the discovered foreign body in whereas for some persons it can cause long term inflammation. Select compounds which are found in fruits and vegetables may be able to work in unison along with bodies own natural defense’s to halt long term inflammation.

The study has demonstrated that epigallocatechin in blackcurrants works in unison with other natural immune actions at the identical time in order to decrease inflammation. These actions are explicit from another group of compounds of anthocycanins that provide decreasing inflammation actions that are also extensive in blackcurrants. Anthocycanin compounds are note for their elements of antioxidants and notably have been demonstrated by the researchers that they also effect inflammatory responses and they also enrich the bodies natural immune actions. This research demonstrates that some compounds found in fruit believed to benefit health due their antioxidant actions in reality are maintaining our health in other ways.

Dr. Hurst states that by the discovery of these compounds that possibly decrease lung inflammation and enhance the bodies own immune actions is an inspiring development. If more is discovered on how it works they may later on manufacture foods that have these compounds which could give more natural choices in order to aide conventional medicine treatments for asthma and may be even other allergic reactions.

This study was part of Plant & Food Research’s Food Innovation program that centers upon the discoveries of benefits in fruits, vegetables, grains and seafood and by applying the information to produce fresh whole foods, ingredients and ideas.
Blackcurrant seed oil for arthritis

Blackcurrant seed oil is known as a fairly safe medication. However, there are still limited studies into blackcurrants.
Two control trails were done to establish the effects on persons with rheumatoid arthritis.

In trail one patients were divided into two groups: one group received blackcurrant seed oil and the group a placebo. The patients who had taken the seed oil during the entire trail did show a noticeably moderate decrease in joint stiffness. However, the decrease was only moderate and did not noticeably decrease pain and stiffness in the morning.

In the second trail conducted it was shown that patients who had received the blackcurrant seed oil had a remarked reduction of stiffness in the morning after the trail had ended. However, the reduction was not noticed after six weeks of the trail ending.
Prevention for exercise aches and pains.

In September of this year another study conducted on blackcurrants from Dr. Hurst and associates was conducted on the effects of blackcurrant juice. The researchers state that the compounds of flavonoids in the berries guard the body from workout stresses.
The effects of blackcurrant extract was observed on ten untrained volunteers.

The study had revealed that those volunteers who had taken a blackcurrant pill prior to and after medium rate of exercise had shown less signs of oxidative stress and muscle damage. They also had shown less signs of inflammation.

The pills in which were used had the equivalent of one to two ounces of berries. These pills were taken each day for three weeks prior to and after exercise.

To conduct the research volunteers were chosen among healthy everyday persons with a vast age range that exercised routinely. The researchers took measurements of biochemical indicators to evaluate the reaction of taking blackcurrant extract capsules prior to and after exercise.

Venous circulation
Blackcurrants play a part in the circulatory system. It has been demonstrated to have vasoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditionally it is used as an anti-hypersensitive which some studies have proven. This activity is acknowledged by the flavonoids, rutin and isoquertin it contains. These substances are vastly prescribed by alternative health practitioners in the treatment for the venous system when it breaks down. It is used for problems in the circulatory system which include varicose veins. The leaves increase mircorcirculation.

Alzheimer’s Disease
Research conducted in 2006, in New Zealand had shown that the compounds contained in blackcurrants have a strong guarding action in cultured neuronal cells against kinds of stress caused by dopamine and amyloid-b, a natural compounds linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
The compounds can also work in hippocampal cells taken directly from the brain. The reaction most probably be duplicated in the human body and the blackcurrants could aide in prevention or greatly postpone the onset of the disease.
This study proves that the compounds in blackcurrants guard against Alzheimer’s disease by controlling the early gene expression in learning and memory that control the cell signaling pathways that aide the neuronal cells communicate with one another.

Blackcurrant elements
Blackcurrants contain tannin, vitamin C, potassium salts, and essential oil.

Treatments in which used
Due to its vitamin C content this fruit has been used in treating cardiovascular disease, in prevention of cardiac insufficiency and vascular occurrences.

Blackcurrants in the diet have been noted to be useful for rheumatism, arthritis and gout. It stimulates digestion and the functioning of organs that include liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Blackcurrant is advocated as an anti-inflammatory that reacts much like cortisone in conditions such as bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic allergies. When used externally in a mixture it can treat abscess, eczema and insect stings.

http://www.examiner.com/alternative-medicine-in-detroit/blackcurrants-aides-asthma

Antibacterial Soaps: Being Too Clean Can Make People Sick, Study Suggests

jen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:07:57 +0000

Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A among adults may negatively influence the immune system, a new University of Michigan School of Public Health study suggests.

Triclosan is a chemical compound widely used in products such as antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, pens, diaper bags and medical devices. Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in many plastics and, for example, as a protective lining in food cans. Both of these chemicals are in a class of environmental toxicants called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), which are believed to negatively impact human health by mimicking or affecting hormones.

Using data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, U-M researchers compared urinary BPA and triclosan with cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody levels and diagnosis of allergies or hay fever in a sample of U.S. adults and children over age 6. Allergy and hay fever diagnosis and CMV antibodies were used as two separate markers of immune alterations.

“We found that people over age 18 with higher levels of BPA exposure had higher CMV antibody levels, which suggests their cell-mediated immune system may not be functioning properly,” said Erin Rees Clayton, research investigator at the U-M School of Public Health and first author on the paper.

Researchers also found that people age 18 and under with higher levels of triclosan were more likely to report diagnosis of allergies and hay fever.

There is growing concern among the scientific community and consumer groups that these EDCs are dangerous to humans at lower levels than previously thought.

“The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to micro-organisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system,” said Allison Aiello, associate professor at the U-M School of Public Health and principal investigator on the study.

As an antimicrobial agent found in many household products, triclosan may play a role in changing the micro-organisms to which we are exposed in such a way that our immune system development in childhood is affected.

“It is possible that a person can be too clean for their own good,” said Aiello, who is also a visiting associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard.

Previous animal studies indicate that BPA and triclosan may affect the immune system, but this is the first known study to look at exposure to BPA and triclosan as it relates to human immune function, Aiello said.

One surprise finding is that with BPA exposure, age seems to matter, said Rees Clayton. In people 18 or older, higher amounts of BPA were associated with higher CMV levels, but in people younger than 18 the reverse was true.

“This suggests the timing of the exposure to BPA and perhaps the quantity and length of time we are exposed to BPA may be affecting the immune system response,” Rees Clayton said.

This is just the first step, she said, but a very important one. Going forward, researchers would like to study the long-term effects of BPA and triclosan in people to see if they can establish a causal relationship.

One limitation of the study is that it measured disease and exposure simultaneously and thus shows only part of the picture, Aiello said.
“It is possible, for example, that individuals who have an allergy are more hygienic because of their condition, and that the relationship we observed is, therefore, not causal or is an example of reverse causation,” Aiello said.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101129101920.htm

Childhood Asthma Reduces Smoking In Teenage Boys

jen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:06:47 +0000

A boy who has asthma is less likely to smoke as a teenager, according to a new study from Italy.

Giuseppe Verlato, an epidemiologist at the University of Verona, asked participants to recall whether they smoked between the ages of 11 and 20 and if they had suffered from asthma as young children.

They found that 49 percent of men who smoked as teens did not have asthma in their childhood. This compared to 35.6 percent of men who smoked as teens and had asthma as children.

This “shielding” effect did not apply to girls. For women, 39.4 percent without childhood asthma began smoking before age 20 compared with 41.2 percent of those with asthma.

The study appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Asthma, a disease that inflames and narrows the breathing airways, occurs in 8 percent to 9 percent of children, said John Carl, head of the pediatric pulmonology department at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.

“Smoking as an asthmatic is kind of like trying to put out a fire with gasoline,” he said. “You’re adding a lot of inflammation to the type of inflammation that’s already there.”

The study notes that adolescents with asthma are more prone to psychological problems because of negative social perceptions resulting from their disease. “For girls with asthma, smoking could be a way to increase self-esteem, which has been shown to be lower in girls than boys,” the authors wrote.

Carl said other factors affect whether a person starts smoking or not including socio-economic status, race and parents’ smoking habits.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204073.php