World Asthma Day: Addressing a global health problem

May 7 marks the 21st annual World Asthma Day — a day during which medical societies, advocacy groups and health care providers renew their commitment to finding effective treatments for a chronic condition that profoundly affects quality of life for millions of people worldwide, according to estimates from the CDC, WHO and NIH.

Several organizations released statements today in support of World Asthma Day, in drawing attention to asthma.

This year, the American Thoracic Society joins the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and other founding members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) in recognizing the theme of World Asthma Day: “STOP for asthma.” STOP stands for symptom evaluation, test response, observe and assess and proceed to adjust treatment, according to a press release from GINA.

The NIH also issued a statement today describing its asthma research efforts. For one, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is more closely examining the genetic and biologic variability of asthma.

The NHLBI has also initiated programs for studying pediatric asthma; the effects that early exposure or reduction of early exposure to allergens has on development of the disease; the role that pollution and environment play; and ways to decrease disparities in care of asthma, which disproportionately affects inner-city children and those from low-income homes, according to the NIH statement.

In honor of World Asthma Day, Healio Pulmonology has selected six recent articles highlighting the latest in asthma research.

Asthma severity linked to fatty acid intake in children

In children, a diet higher in omega-6 fatty acids may worsen asthma severity and response to indoor particulate air pollution, whereas increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may have beneficial effects, new data from the AsthmaDIET study suggest. Read more

New insights on link between common lung diseases and cardiovascular risk

Patients with common lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung fibrosis, are significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more

Metabolic dysfunction may exacerbate asthma in adults with obesity

Pre-diabetes and diabetes are risk factors for asthma exacerbations in adults with asthma and obesity, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Read more

High doses of prenatal vitamin D not associated with children’s asthma risk

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Women who took high doses of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy did not impact their child’s risk for asthma by the age of 6 years, according to data recently published in JAMA. Read more

Pediatric corticosteroid use increases with poor asthma control documentation

Children with uncontrolled or undocumented control of their asthma symptoms were more likely to receive prescriptions for both oral and inhaled corticosteroids, according to research published in Clinical Pediatrics. Read more

1 in 5 NYC teens have undiagnosed asthma

Approximately 20% of teenagers in New York City have asthma symptoms but have not received a diagnosis, according to research published in The Journal of Urban Health. Researchers wrote that neighborhood-level variables and demographic characteristics, including race or ethnicity, affected teenagers’ risk for having undiagnosed asthma. Read more