Blog
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Effects of Home Interventions on Older Adults with Asthma
An article in the May 2019 edition of Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology examines how multifaceted home environmental interventions can affect respiratory health for older adults with asthma. The researchers “conducted community health worker-led interventions” in the homes of 86 low-income adults with asthma age 62 or older. Assessments were taken at baseline and…
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Families USA Releases Summary of PCORI Findings to Promote More Equitable Asthma Outcomes
Families USA has released a report titled “Advancing Health Equity Through Better Evidence for Asthma Care: Translating Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Learnings into Equity-Focused Policy Recommendations.” This report utilizes the research portfolio of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to create key policy recommendations aimed at more equitable outcomes for all patients with asthma. The…
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Office of Women’s Health Releases Asthma Fact Sheet
The Office of Women’s Health has released a fact sheet focused on asthma. This guide examines asthma from multiple angles and includes information on how asthma specifically affects women and pregnancy. It also includes links to multiple resources for additional information. The fact sheet is available in English here and in Spanish here.
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US EPA Releases Preventive Maintenance Guidance Documents for School Indoor Air Quality
The US Environmental Protection Agency has released several guidance documents on Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools. These guides are designed to help stakeholders plan and develop an indoor air quality preventive maintenance plan. The guide details how walkthroughs, integrated pest management, green cleaning, and more can make for better air quality in schools. Lastly,…
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Oral Magnesium and Asthma Management
In the February 2019 Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, an article looks at the role of magnesium supplements for management of bronchial asthma. The authors of the articles conducted database searches for studies relating to oral magnesium supplements, and eight studies fit the criteria. While oral magnesium was found to improve lung function at week eight…
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Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution on Pediatric Asthma Cases
In an April 2019 study in The Lancet Planetary Health researchers “estimated the annual global number of new pediatric asthma cases” caused by exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). In order to do this, they utilized nitrogen dioxide as a proxy for TRAP. In order to conduct the study, researchers obtained country and age specific…
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The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Asthma
The December 2018 edition of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences examines the “role of the gut-lung axis in asthma development” to evaluate whether or not asthma prevention may be addressed through microbe-based therapies. The article notes “several studies have confirmed the role of microbiota in the regulation of immune function and the development… of…
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Bill to Support Asthma Home Visits Advances in California Senate!
On Wednesday, April 4th, we took an important step forward to increase access to asthma home visiting services in California! The Senate Health Committee, on an 8-0 bipartisan vote, advanced SB 207, our proposal for asthma preventive services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with poorly controlled asthma. The bill would support asthma education and home environmental trigger…
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Impact of Railyards on Asthma-Related Pediatric Emergency Room Visits
Preventive Medicine Reports included an article in its March 2019 edition investigating the effects of freight railyards on exposure to air pollutants and subsequent asthma-related emergency room visits in children. The study included children living within 30 miles of one of 18 freight railyards in California that had emergency room visits between 2007 and 2009…
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Comparison of Indoor and Outdoor Particulate Matter on Children’s Lung Function
The May 2019 edition of Science of the Total Environment contains an article investigating the effects of exposure to particulate matter that occurs indoors compared to the amount outdoors. Researchers took indoor and outdoor particulate matter and fungal spore data from forty-four homes with asthmatic children. The children also completed spirometry. After analyzing the data,…
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Effects of Vitamin D on Asthma Symptoms in Obese Urban Children
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology included in article in its February 2019 edition examining the effects of Vitamin D on asthma symptoms in obese, urban children. Researchers had a cohort of 120 children aged 5 to 12 that “were evaluated at baseline and every 3 months for 9 months.” At each interval, indoor…
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Study Examines Racial Gap in Production and Exposure to Air Pollution
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America released an article in their March 2019 edition examining consumption as it relates to how much air pollution it produces. The study specifically looked at the consumption of racial-ethnic groups that was producing pollution against the racial-ethnic groups that were faced…