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I n h a l e d C o r t i c o s t e r o i d s R e d u c e A s t h m a D e a t h s

The regular use of inhaled corticosteroids not only helps to keep asthma under con- trol, but according to a new study, it has been shown to saves lives.

Inhaled corticosteroids are very effec- tive for many people in managing their asthma. They treat the root problem that causes asthma--inflammation in a person's airways--~and as a result, actually prevent asthma attacks from happening. Unlike oral corticosteroids, standard doses of inhaled corticosteroids have been proven to be quite safe even when used for long periods of time.

In many previous studies, various bene- fits of inhaled corticosteroids have been identified. It has been shown that they reduce the number of asthma flares, allow a person to sleep better by reducing the num- ber of nighttime awakenings, and reduce hospitalizations. However, until now it had not been shown that they actually reduce the incidence of asthma-related death.

In this study, the researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, analyzed a database that contained patient records of 30,000 asthma patients, ages 5 to 44. They were able to evaluate a patients' outcomes and correlate them with the type and amount of medications the person had been prescribed. They found that the death

rate from asthma was correlated with the use of inhaled corticosteroids. Those patients who used more canisters of the medications had better survival rates. In fact, for each additional canister that a patient used in the preceding year, the rate of death from asthma decreased by 21 per- cent. This is strong evidence that inhaled corticosteroids save lives and should be an integral part of a treatment plan for anyone with persistent or unstable asthma.

This study was reported in the August 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

G l o b a l W a r m i n g M a y B e B a d N e w s f o r H a y F e v e r S u f f e r e r s

New research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that the increased carbon dioxide in our environ- ment caused by pollution (and which may be a contributing factor in global warming) may be causing a bumper crop of ragweed. Ragweed, the insidious weed that produces a pollen that is the most troublesome to many allergy sufferers, seems to grow faster and produce more pollen as carbon dioxide levels rise. In fact, research shows that rag- weed today produces twice as much pollen than it did 100 years ago.

To test the theory that carbon dioxide levels are causing the increased pollen levels, the USDA strategically placed some rag- weed plants in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, where pollution and carbon dioxide levels are high, and others in a more rural area outside the city where levels are lower. They found that the plants grow- ing in the city were larger and were produc- ing, on average, 30 percent more of the allergenic pollen.

This research is in keeping with earlier studies showing that trees grow significantly faster when exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide. It also makes sense since trees use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, a process necessary for their growth and survival.

Although this research may be bad news for allergy sufferers, it may be good

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news for farmers. The same processes that make ragweed flourish may also cause crops to grow more rapidly and be more productive. Scientists predict that global warming will continue and carbon dioxide levels will increase.

I n s e c t i c i d e M a y C a u s e A l l e r g i c R e a c t i o n s

It has always been known that the use of insecticides can cause difficulties for people with asthma and allergies, but there is now evidence that one common insecticide has the potential to cause severe allergic reac- tions.

The insecticide pyrethrin is a widely used substance because it is effective against pests and has a low toxicity profile on humans. It is derived from pyrethrum flowers, which are in the same family as daisies and chrysanthemums. It is used in indoor and outdoor pesticide sprays as well as in some pet shampoos.

The researchers of a new study looked at the case of an 11-year-old girl, with a history of asthma, who gave her dog a bath with a shampoo containing pyrethrin as an active ingredient. Within 10 minutes of using the shampoo, she began to experi- ence severe asthma symptoms. Despite receiving immediate emergency care at the hospital, she died within three hours of the onset of the asthma attack. A possible aller- gy to the dog was ruled out as the source of the reaction since she had lived with the dog without difficulty for a number of years.

Currently, the EPA does not classify pyrethrin as an allergen and, therefore, manufacturers are not required to list it as such on product labels.

C l a r i t i n G e t s E x t e n s i o n o n P a t e n t

The pharmaceutical company Shering- Plough Corporation has announced that they have received a six-month extension on their patent for their popular allergy

The increased carbon dioxide in our enf i ronment due to pollution

may be causing ragweed to f lourish, increasing the pollen that caus-

es seasonal al lergy symptoms for mill ions of people.

drug, Claritin. The company had applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this extension based on the fact that they had tested the drug with chil- dren. This is an incentive the FDA has established to encourage drug companies to include children in drug testing so that more medications can be approved for children's use.

This extension will postpone the intro- duction of generic forms of Claritin. Whereas the patent would have expired so that generic forms of the drug could be made available by June 2002, that will now be delayed until December of that year.

Shering-Plough is currently working on a new formulation of Claritin. They hope to have FDA approval on this next generation of the drug and have it launched by the end of 2000.

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