Category: Featured Stories and Interviews

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Asthma More than Doubles Healthcare Costs

Poorly Controlled Asthma costly Says National Jewish Health

Poorly controlled asthma more than doubles healthcare costs associated with the disease and threatens educational achievement through a dramatic increase in school absence, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. The research team reported in the August 2011 issue of The Archives of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology that children with “very poorly controlled” asthma missed an average of 18 days of school each year, compared to 2 or less for other asthma patients.

“This study looks for the first time at how effective and ineffective management of severe asthma impacts cost ,” said Stanley Szefler, MD, lead author and Professor of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health. “It highlights the toll that poorly controlled asthma takes on children. It also points to an opportunity – with proper attention and education, many, if not most, of those children could gain control over their asthma, thus reducing healthcare costs, improving their lives and their chances for success.”

The researchers studied 628 children ages 6 to 12 with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma. They evaluated direct medical costs – medications, unscheduled office and emergency visits, and hospital admissions – and indirect costs as measured by school/work days lost. Costs were evaluated at baseline, 12 months and 24 months. Patients were divided into three groups – very poorly controlled, not well controlled and well controlled asthma, according to NIH guidelines

Very poorly controlled asthma patients incurred at baseline an average of $7,846 in costs associated with asthma, compared to $3,526 for not well controlled asthma patients and $3,766 for well controlled asthma. Two years out, costs for very poorly controlled asthma patients increased to $8,880 while costs for those with well controlled asthma dropped to $1,861. (All costs are in 2002 dollars. Costs in 2011 dollars would be approximately 25 percent greater.)

Direct costs of care were roughly 50 percent higher for poorly controlled asthma at $4,983, compared to $3,236 for not well controlled asthma, and $3,588 for well controlled asthma.

Indirect costs were much greater for poorly controlled asthma as measured by the impact on work and school. Children with poorly controlled asthma missed an average of 18 school days per year, compared to 2 missed days for poorly controlled asthma, and 0 for the well controlled asthma.

The researchers estimated that one parent would have to stay home for each missed school day, at an average cost of $172 dollars per day. Indirect costs for very poorly controlled asthma, $3,078, were more than eight times as great as the costs for not well controlled asthma, $369. With no missed school days among well controlled asthma patients, their indirect costs were $0.

The large variance for missed school days suggested another cost not included in the researchers’ calculations—low educational achievement. They cited a study of 3,812 students in Missouri indicating a much higher chance of failure for those absent an average of 12 school days. The very poorly controlled asthma patients in the current study missed an average of 18 days.

But the researchers also cited another study that suggested about 85 percent of asthma patients can bring asthma under control with careful education and supervision. Their data do indicate that improvement in asthma control does reduce asthma-related costs.

“There are effective strategies to improve asthma control among children,” said Dr. Szefler. “By addressing medication adherence, inhaler technique, proper medications, and other asthma management strategies, we could improve asthma and reduce costs significantly.”

Contact: William Allstetter
allstetterw@njhealth.org
303-398-1002
National Jewish Health
Poorly controlled asthma costly

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Molecular Pathway, Asthma Inflammation and Future Treatment Options

Researchers Identify Molecular Pathway that leads to Inflammation in Asthma

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway that helps explain how an enzyme elevated in asthma patients can lead to increased mucus production and inflammation that is characteristic of the lung condition. Their findings, reported online in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal unique interactions between biological molecules that could be targeted to develop new asthma treatments.

An enzyme called epithelial 15-lipoxygenase 1 (15LO1) metabolizes fatty acids to produce an eicosanoid known as 15 hydroxyeicosaetetranoic acid (15 HETE) and is elevated in the cells that line the lungs of asthma patients, explained Sally E. Wenzel, M.D., professor of medicine, Pitt School of Medicine, and director of the Asthma Institute at UPMC and Pitt School of Medicine. Her team showed in 2009 that the enzyme plays a role in mucus production.

“In this project, we found out 15 HETE is conjugated to a common phospholipid,” she said. “That complex, called 15HETE-PE, and 15LO1 behave as signaling molecules that appear to have a powerful influence on airway inflammation.”

By examining lung cells obtained by bronchoscopy from 65 people with asthma, the researchers found that both 15LO1 and 15HETE-PE displace an inhibitory protein called PEBP1 from its bond with another protein called Raf-1, which when freed can lead to activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK). Activated ERK is commonly observed in the epithelial, or lung lining, cells in asthma, but until now the reason for that was not understood.

“This is an important study as it directly explores the important role of 15-lipoxygenase 1 in the airway epithelial cells of patients with asthma, which immediately establishes the relevance to human disease,” said Mark T. Gladwin, M.D., chief, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, UPSOM.

Other experiments showed that knocking down 15LO1 decreased the dissociation of Raf-1 from PEBP1, which in turn reduced ERK activation. The pathway ultimately influences the production of factors involved in inflammation and mucus production.

“These results show us on both a molecular and mechanistic level and as mirrored by fresh cells from the patients themselves that the epithelial cells of people with asthma are very different from those that don’t have it,” Dr. Wenzel said. “It also gives us a potential treatment strategy: If we can prevent Raf-1 displacement, we might have a way of stopping the downstream consequences that lead to asthma.”

Co-authors include Jinming Zhao, Ph.D., Silvana Balzar, M.D., Claudette M. St. Croix, Ph.D., and John B. Trudeau, B.S., of UPSOM and the Asthma Institute; and Valerie B. O’Donnell Ph.D., of Cardiff University, United Kingdom. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

Contact: Anita Srikameswaran
SrikamAV@upmc.edu
412-578-9193
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Pitt team finds molecular pathway that leads to inflammation in asthma
75.26.195.212

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Vectura Group Enters Exclusive with Sandoz for Asthma Treatment

Vectura Group plc (“Vectura”; LSE: VEC) today announces that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, for the development and marketing of VR315, a combination therapy for asthma/COPD, in the rest of world (“RoW”) territory. RoW territory excludes the USA and those countries included in the existing VR315 European license with Sandoz.

Under the terms of the VR315 RoW agreement, Vectura will receive a royalty on net sales and a margin on the commercial manufacture and supply of the dry powder inhaler device used to deliver VR315 for RoW. Vectura is also eligible for milestones and advance pre-launch royalties worth up to €8m; €2.5m of which are expected to be received by 30 September 2011.

Sandoz will be solely responsible for any development work required and for obtaining marketing authorisations throughout the RoW territory, which includes Japan, Canada, South America and Australia.

Dr Chris Blackwell, Chief Executive of Vectura, commented:

VR315 has a large market opportunity in these rapidly expanding territories, where patient access to good, affordable treatments for asthma and COPD is of great importance. This agreement extends our existing relationships with Sandoz and further endorses Vectura’s respiratory expertise and GyroHaler® technology.”

Combination therapy for asthma/COPD is the biggest and fastest growing sector of the respiratory market, with annual sales currently exceeding US$11 billion. Global annual sales in territories outside Europe and the US are estimated at US$2.5billion and are continuing to grow.

Vectura exclusively licensed the European rights for VR315 to Sandoz in March 2006. In December 2007, Vectura licensed Sandoz the European rights to a second combination asthma/COPD product, VR632, delivered with the same device.

Vectura Group plc

+44 (0)1249 667700
Chris Blackwell, Chief Executive
Anne Hyland, Chief Financial Officer
Julia Wilson, Director of Investor Relations

Financial Dynamics
+44 (0)20 7831 3113
Ben Atwell

Susan Quigley
Notes for editors:
About Vectura

Vectura Group plc develops inhaled therapies principally for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Vectura’s main products target diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a growing market that is currently estimated to be worth in excess of $25 billion.

Vectura has six products marketed by its partners and a portfolio of drugs in clinical and pre-clinical development, a number of which have been licensed to major pharmaceutical companies. Vectura has development collaborations and license agreements with several pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Sandoz (the generics arm of Novartis), Baxter and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Vectura seeks to develop certain programmes itself where this will optimise value. Vectura’s formulation and inhalation technologies are available to other pharmaceutical companies on an out-licensing basis where this complements Vectura’s business strategy.

For further information, please visit Vectura’s website at www.vectura.com

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Roche Asthma Drug Phase II trial Meets Primary Endpoint

Roche’s investigational treatment for asthma met its primary endpoint in a phase II study

Lebrikizumab has potential to be the first personalized treatment for asthma

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that a phase II study of its investigational treatment lebrikizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to block interleukin-13 (IL-13) cytokine, met its primary endpoint. In the study, lebrikizumab treatment resulted in a statistically significant increase in FEV1 (measure of lung function) in adults with asthma whose symptoms were inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteriods (ICS). The overall frequency of adverse events was similar in both the placebo and the treatment group. The results of this study, known as ‘MILLY’, are being published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today.

IL-13 is a key contributor to the features of asthma and increases periostin, a protein which can be measured with a blood test. In the study, patients with high pre-treatment periostin levels had greater improvement in lung function with lebrikizumab compared to patients with low periostin levels.

“The findings of the MILLY study, and the development of a potential biomarker, have shown that we may be able to select appropriate asthma patients for lebrikizumab therapy,” said Richard Scheller, Executive Vice President, Genentech Research and Early Development (gRED). “These results support further investigation of lebrikizumab as a personalized medicine for patients who suffer from moderate to severe uncontrolled asthma.”

The study also showed a trend towards a lower rate of severe asthma attacks (known as exacerbations) in patients treated with lebrikizumab, although the study was not powered to detect a reduction of these. These data are encouraging as severe asthma attacks, characterized by shortness of breath and chest tightness, are potentially life threatening.

Lebrikizumab may benefit patients with a high unmet medical need who have uncontrolled asthma with existing treatment options.
About lebrikizumab

Lebrikizumab, which was developed by Genentech Research and Early Development, is a treatment being investigated for patients with uncontrolled asthma. It is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to block the IL-13 cytokine (proteins that serve as messengers between cells) and reduce inflammation in the lung. IL-13 overexpression results in airway inflammation which is a feature of asthma.
About the Phase II study (MILLY)

The MILLY trial (a global phase II randoMized, double blInd, placebo-controLled study to evaLuate the safetY, tolerability and efficacy of lebrikizumab in adult patients with asthma who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroids) is a Roche/Genentech sponsored study to evaluate the safety profile, tolerability and efficacy of lebrikizumab in adult patients whose asthma is inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroids, a common treatment for asthma. Lebrikizumab was dosed every 28 days subcutaneously at 250mg, for a total of six doses. A total of 219 patients were randomized, one patient was not treated. 106 patients were randomized to lebrikizumab and 112 patients were randomized to placebo.

The primary endpoint of the study was a measure of lung function called the ‘pre-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume 1 (FEV1)’. FEV1 is the volume of air that can be forced out in one second after taking a deep breath.

The primary endpoint of the trial showed that at week 12, lebrikizumab-treated patients had a 5.5% (95% CI, 0.8% to 10.2%; P=0.02) greater increase in pre-bronchodilator FEV1, from baseline than placebo-treated patients (lebrikizumab, 9.8%±1.9%; placebo, 4.3%±1.5%). Lebrikizumab-treated patients in the high-periostin subgroup experienced an 8.2% (P=0.03) relative increase from baseline FEV1, compared with placebo. Lebrikizumab treated patients in the low-periostin subgroup experienced a 1.6% (P=0.61) relative increase in FEV1, compared with placebo. Periostin was measured in serum using a protein assay.

Secondary pre-specified outcomes included the rates of protocol-defined exacerbations and severe exacerbations (worsening of asthma) through week 24. Although the study was not powered to detect a reduction of exacerbations, there was a trend towards a lower rate of severe exacerbation in patients treated with lebrikizumab.

The overall frequency of adverse events was similar in both the placebo and the treatment groups. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were observed in 4 lebrikizumab treated patients; 2 events of patients experiencing an asthma attack, community acquired pneumonia and traumatic pneumothorax (a collection of air inside the chest, between the lung and inner chest wall, which causes the lung to collapse) related to a car accident.

The most common side effects were infections (lebrikizumab 48.1%, placebo 49.1%), which included upper respiratory infections (lebrikizumab 12.3%, placebo 14.3%) and sinus infections (lebrikizumab 9.4%, placebo 8.0%). The overall frequency of adverse events was similar in both treatment groups (lebrikizumab, 74.5%; placebo, 78.6%), as were the frequencies of serious adverse events (lebrikizumab, 3.8%; placebo, 5.4%). Musculoskeletal events were more common with lebrikizumab (lebrikizumab, 13.2%; placebo, 5.4%). Twenty-five patients (11.5%) discontinued the study early, including 12 placebo and 13 lebrikizumab-treated patients.
About asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult and is a major public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide.1 A feature of asthma is inflammation of the air passages resulting in a variable airflow to the lungs. This results in recurrent attacks of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness thus requiring continuous medical care. Therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids are intended to ease airway inflammation and airway narrowing. Despite treatment with inhaled glucocorticosteroids (ICS), many patients continue to have uncontrolled asthma that requires the use of more intensive therapy. 2
About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. In 2010, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested over 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 47.5 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information: www.roche.com.

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Asthma Researchers Explore New Pharma Treatment Options

A New Asthma Treatment Option Drug called Lebrikizumab Shows Results Needs Further Review Says Asthma Specialist

News reports reflect that For asthma patients who continue to suffer from symptoms even after taking their inhaled steroids, a new drug called lebrikizumab may be a treatment option, and a simple blood test can determine the effectiveness of the drug, according to a consortium of researchers including a Baylor College of Medicine asthma expert in a report that appears in The New England Journal of Medicine

Dr. Nick Hanania, associate professor of medicine and director the BCM Asthma Clinical Research Center and colleagues studied whether lebrikizumab, an antibody to interleukin-13, a protein that plays a major role in the inflammation in the airways of asthmatics, would block the effects of the protein and have an effect on lung function or flare ups in asthmatics.

The phase II clinical trial looked at 219 adults with asthma who were already taking inhaled steroids and continued to suffer from asthma symptoms. After 12 weeks, those who received the once-a-month injection of lebrikizumab had better lung function as measured by a test called forced expiratory volume than those who received a placebo. However, there were no significant effects of this drug on asthma flare ups over the six months of the study.

Researchers also found that patients in the study who had a higher blood level of a biomarker periostin, a protein that reflects high interleukin-13 activity and causes a type of inflammation in asthma patients called eosinophilic inflammation, responded better to the drug than those who had lower levels of this biomarker. These findings suggest that a simple blood test can determine which asthma patients may have a positive response to the study medication.

“This information will be very helpful in the future in better defining the role of periostin in asthma and in differentiating the phenotypes, or the characteristics, of asthma,” said Hanania. “We know that not all asthmatics are the same as there are different types of airway inflammation in this disease, and we have never had a simple test that could help us identify who would and wouldn’t respond to agents like this new drug until now.”

Hanania also notes that the safety of the drug was promising compared to the placebo.

“This is a step forward in treating asthma patients,” said Hanania. “These findings could help the well being and quality of life for those on inhaled steroids who continue to suffer from asthma symptoms. Such symptoms can cause increased hospitalizations and emergency room visits, which result in a high cost for patients and the health care system.”

Lebrikizumab will need to be studied in a larger number of patients before it can be reviewed and approved by FDA and become available to patients.

Others who took part in this study include Dr. Jonathan Corren of Allergy Medical Clinic and Genentech; Dr. Robert F. Lemanske, Jr. of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; Dr. Phillip E. Korenblat of the Clinical Research Center in St. Louis.Dr. Merdad V. Parsey of 3-V Biosciences; and Drs. Joseph R. Arron, Jeffrey M. Harris, Heleen Scheerens, Lawren C. Wu, Zheng Su, Sofia Mosesova, Mark D. Eisner, Sean P. Bohen and John G. Matthews of Genentech.

Funding for this study came from Genentech, a member of Roche group.

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Can Antibiotics Cure Asthma?

Can Antibiotics Cure Asthma? Pioneering Research Show’s Promise

The first in a series.

It is estimated that over 300 million people worldwide, including almost 24 million American children and adults have Asthma. It is also estimated that a sizable percentage of that population suffers from severe asthma many of whom do not respond well to conventional treatment.

To learn more about current research to address this disease, the World Asthma Foundation reached out to Dr. David Hahn, family practitioner and research pioneer from Madison Wisconsin U.S.A. Dr. Hahn has twenty plus years of research reflecting that severe Asthma may be linked to a respiratory bacterium known as Chlamydia pneumoniae.

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Onset Asthma

Understanding Onset Asthma

What is Onset Asthma and how does it compare to childhood Asthma?

Asthma is typically defined as a condition you get when you’re very young or in childhood. For individuals that are diagnosed with Asthma when they are adults are known to have “onset asthma” and what triggers their Asthma can be quite different.

According the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), adults with the symptoms of asthma are less likely to be triggered by allergies such as house-dust mites, animals and pollen.

Onset Asthmatics for example are more likely to be triggered by:

* flu, colds or other viral infections
* exercise
* laughing or getting excited
* depression or anxiety
* some medicines
* irritants such as cigarette smoke, cold air, perfumes and chemical fumes

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Excessive heat worsens asthma symptoms

Excessive heat worsens asthma symptoms Says Ne3ws Reports in KC, MO

KCTV Kansas City, MO is reporting that visiting an allergy specialist is a routine part of Matthew Quest’s summer, especially this year.

“It’s usually the summers are a time when we can get off a lot of our medicines and he’s still having to take his inhibitors everyday and his allergy medicine. It’s different especially the past couple of weeks,” said Alisa Quest, Matthew’s mom.

“It’s like I can’t breathe and I feel like I have to go in my house and get my inhaler and take it. Or tell my mom or dad,” said Matthew.

Doctors like Christina Ciaccio say Matthew isn’t alone. Children’s Mercy Hospital’s emergency department has seen a spike in asthma attacks with the unusually hot temperatures and high pollen count that normally disappears this time every year. Besides the hot temperatures, there are also the man-made factors.

“It’s difficult to escape from ozone because it can go straight into the house just as easily as it is outdoors,” said Ciaccio.

Ciaccio suggests sticking to the routine your doctor prescribes but, for asthma patients, staying active is a must if you want to breathe easy.

“For a person like Matthew, it’s more important than any other kid to exercise on a regular basis and Matthew does a wonderful job keeping his lungs as fit as can be,” said Ciaccio.

Ciaccio also suggests when the temperatures cool down, open the windows in your house to let out toxins such as cleaning chemicals. It can help improve the ozone indoors as well.

Copyright 2011 KCTV. All rights reserved.

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Local plants show promise in asthma relief – Nigerian Tribune

Local plants show promise in asthma relief Says News Reports

The Nigerian Times is reporting that There are limited ailments as problematic as asthma. It is characterised by a frightening condition in which the patient’s body is deprived of oxygen as a result of sudden tight-feeling in the chest, spasm, constriction of the air passage and swelling of their mucous lining.

Seasonal asthmatic attacks especially during extremely wet or dry condition and perennial attacks are often accompanied by dry cough, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and hay fever. Severe attacks may end in death if not immediately arrested.

With increasing scarcity and cost of these medicines used in treatment of asthma, especially in the community, researchers have been evaluating indigenous plant resources to enrich Nigeria’s traditional herbal therapy as well as source for additional raw materials for the local manufacturing of modern drugs.

Ethnobotanical efforts have shown that some of the herbs used singly or in combination with certain others that are good for the respiratory organs, are also good for the treatment of asthma.

One of such herbs that researchers see as a potential raw material for the treatment of asthma is that commonly referred to as Crinum jagus, “asthma cough plant” or Ogede odo in Yoruba.

Moreover, the common name ‘asthma coughs plant’ people in Yoruba land claimed, rightly fitted the plant for it has long been found potent in the local relief of asthma and related coughs.

The medicinally useful part of the plant is the fleshy, bulb-like underground rootstock herein referred to as the ‘bulb’ for convenience. The asthma concoction is prepared by chopping one mature ‘bulb’ into pieces, mashing with mortar and pestle one average size ‘bulb’ of white onion and two tablets of kafra (that is menthol), all into a one-litre bottle of water.

Crinum jagus is a common plant found in swampy locations with white flowers that appear in the dry season. It is a tender perennial bulb that is native to tropical Africa with tulip-like white flowers, which bloom in clusters during drier season atop leafless stalks typically growing up to about one metre tall from a clump of strap-shaped green leaves.

For instance, an ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the treatment of asthma in Oyo, Ogun and Osun states also listed “asthma cough plant” as one of the common ingredients of asthma traditional herbal preparations.

This 2008 survey entitled “Ethnobotanical Survey of Anti-asthmatic Plants in South Western, Nigeria” was carried out by Dr M. A Sonibare of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan in collaboration with Mr Z.O Gbile from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye was published in the African Journal of . Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines.

The survey, which was aimed at providing information on the available local remedies for asthma, their mode of preparation and administration of these phytomedicines with a view to promoting further studies on these plants involved questioning several herbalists and traditional medical practitioners. Most of them were women.

According to the herbalists and traditional medical practitioners, 46 plants (including stem, bark, fruits, leaves, bulb, seeds and flower) with anti-asthmatic properties were used in the treatment of asthma. Most of the herbs were prescribed along with other recipes, mono-prescription was rare. Modes of administration of the phytomedicines were concoction, decoctions and powdered ash residue.

However, there were diversities in the preparation and use of the herbal medicines in the different markets surveyed. The 20 recipes include:

Olax subscorpioidea (Ifon in Yoruba), Euphorbia hirta( Emi-ile in Yoruba), Euphorbia lateriflora (Enu-opiri), Securidaca longipedunculata (Ipeta in Yoruba), Crinum jagus (Ogede-odo in Yoruba), Allium sativum (Ayuu in Yoruba), Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba): Wash and cut into them pieces before soaking in water in a covered glass jar for three days.

Olax subscorpioidea, Chasmanthera dependens (Ato in Yoruba), Calliandra portoricensis (Tude in Yoruba), Mimosa pigra (Ewon agogo in Yoruba), Securidaca longipedunculata (Ipeta in Yoruba), Crinum jagus (Ogede-odo in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba), Tetrapleura tetraptera is also prepared similarly.

Chasmanthera dependens, Picralima nitida (Erin in Yoruba), Crinum jagus, Allium ascalonicum, Tetrapleura tetraptera and Alum: Wash Crinum jagus and cut them into pieces and then mix this with the scrapped portion of Tetrapleura tetraptera in a mortar. The mixed herbs are soaked in water with alum. The liquid extract is administered.

Olax subscorpioidea, Crinum jagus Tetrapleura tetraptera, Chasmanthera dependens, Gongronema latifolium (Madunmaro in Yoruba), Xylopia aethiopica (Eeru in Yoruba), Euphorbia lateriflora (Enu-opiri in Yoruba), Nauclea latifolia (Egbesi in Yoruba), Gossypium barbadense (Owu in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum: Wash and cut into pieces all the herbs. A cold maceration of the ingredients is administered.

Tetrapleura tetraptera, Chasmanthera depends, Crinum jagus, Allium ascalonicum: A concoction of the ingredients is made. The concoction is left for about 10 hours for effective extraction.

Tetrapleura tetraptera, Crinum jagus, Xylopia aethiopica, Gossypium barbadens, Olax subscorpioidea, Securidaca longepedunclata: Wash, cut into pieces and soak in water for three days, then administer.

Crinum jagus, Chasmanthera dependens, Olax subscorpioidea, Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum: Wash, cut into pieces and soak in water for a day, then administer.

Crinum jagus (Ogede-odo in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba), Gossypium barbadense (owu in Yoruba), Chasmanthera dependens (Ato in Yoruba), Olax subscorpioidea, Xylopia aethiopica, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Calliandra portoricensis.

Crinum jagus and Eugenia aromatic. Wash, and chop ingredients before soaking in local gin. The preparation is left for a day before administering.

Olax subscorpioidea (ifon in Yoruba), Calliandra portoricensis(Tude in Yoruba), Aristolochia ringens (Ako-igun in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba) : Wash and cut the ingredients into pieces, soak in water for three days.

Anacardium occidentale(cashew bark), Bitter kola. Extract the cashew juice and mix with sugar, cut the Bitter kola into pieces and soak in the juice. Administer after a day.

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Asthma, Pollution and Kids – U.S. Congress Split

Press Reports Reflect that Pollution worsens kids’ asthma, but efforts to cut it split Congress

McClatchy Newspapers reported that summer air pollution could trigger more asthma attacks for children who live in industrial cities, and the Environmental Protection Agency would like stricter rules to cut smog.

Congress is split on the agency’s proposal, however, with some Republicans saying the EPA’s regulatory agenda could cost businesses as well as drive up energy expenses for families. Clean air advocates counter that low standards for pollution cost families by endangering children’s health.

The EPA’s proposed air-pollution standards are “long overdue,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s clean air subcommittee. He pointed to his own state, where there are nearly 25,000 children with asthma in a state of just 1 million people. Someone needs to speak for the children, Whitehouse said.

“These children are frankly not heard, and the cost to them is not heard,” he said. “The polluting industries are heard loud and clear.”

The EPA is expected to release proposed new ozone-pollution regulations in July. Also in July, the agency is scheduled to establish greenhouse-gas standards for new and updated power plants. It’s scheduled to propose standards for refineries in December.

The Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental advocacy group, warned last week that bad air days from ground-level ozone pollution will get worse in much of the U.S. as a result of climate change unless pollution is reduced.

Health specialists who spoke at Wednesday’s hearing said they didn’t know what caused asthma, which sometimes is inherited, but that air toxins did trigger attacks.

Several health experts testified that asthma is extremely hazardous to children, especially those younger than 5. Ground-level ozone, the main component in smog, causes burning in the eyes and throat, shortness of breath and coughing, as well as asthma attacks and other lung problems. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable.

“Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and is responsible for a large amount of health care expenditures and lost school days,” testified James Ginda, a respiratory therapist from Rhode Island.

Patty Resnik, the corporate director at Christiana Care Health System in Delaware, said the economic costs of asthma ranged from $12.7 billion to $19.7 billion a year. She said studies showed that this comprised medical costs as well as missed days of work for parents of asthmatic children.

Asthma’s effect on children isn’t the question, said economist Margo Thorning, a senior vice president at the American Council for Capital Formation, a pro-business economic research group. Her group’s studies show that the EPA’s air-quality regulations have been harmful to the economy since they were enacted in 1990. Thorning said the Clean Air Act Amendments had led the GDP to decline by $79 billion in 2010 and that they were projected to slash $110 billion from the GDP in 2020.

Republican senators agreed that the costs of reducing air pollution further would be too high.

The EPA has been a frequent target of the Republicans who control the House of Representatives as well as Republican senators from oil-producing states.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said he had “absolutely no confidence in the science coming out of the EPA.”

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said there was no question that everyone supported the well-being of children, but President Barack Obama’s administration had encouraged an “aggressive regulatory regime,” he said.

“It’s designed to make the energy we use more expensive,” he said.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/08/2257570/pollution-worsens-kids-asthma.html#ixzz1P4ltj78p