More asthma research yields hopeful new controls

More asthma research yields hopeful new controls

For quite some time it has been known that calcium plays a major role in muscle contraction. A number of calcium-altering medicines are used to help heart problems and hypertension by relaxing the smooth muscle found in the heart and arteries. Now there may be an application to asthma. Smooth muscle is also found in our bronchial tubes; constriction of this muscle that occurs through proteins called calcium-sensing receptors causes asthma. A recent British study examined the use of a…

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Zithromax new hero in infant RSV?

Zithromax new hero in infant RSV?

The major cause of bronchiolitis in infants, and not infrequently the major cause of subsequent chronic asthma in these children, has been the topic of recent exciting research at Washington University. The culprit – RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) – seems to succeed because is elicits such a strong inflammatory response in the airways of its tiny victims that they never fully recover. In the past efforts have been made to try to reduce this inflammation by the use of both…

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Milk — Aged wisdom for modern dilemma

Milk — Aged wisdom for modern dilemma

Dear Dr. K: My chiropractor told me too much milk might actually weaken my bones. I’ve always heard milk is good for teeth and bones. Could he be right? Actually, he is right. The whole cow milk and health issue has a convoluted history. It dates back to the Great Depression when many Americans were starving and rickets was common. The Federal government stepped in and subsidized the dairy farmers so that milk could be both available and cheap. It…

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Mucky mucus: Lots of fluids and understanding mechanism helps

Mucky mucus: Lots of fluids and understanding mechanism helps

Feeling stuffed up? Achy around the eyes? Talking funny? Getting up close and personal with the mechanics of your respiratory system can enlighten – and offer fight-back tactics. Our respiratory system (nose, sinuses and lungs) is lined with a membrane technically described as mucociliary columnar epithelium. The mucociliary part refers to the fact that there are abundant mucus glands, and the top of the cells have little hairs called cilia. When all is normal, a great system is in operation:…

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Q – Tips: Asthma and obesity

Q – Tips: Asthma and obesity

A recent Canadian study on obese asthmatics found marked improvement in airway function associated with weight loss. The degree of improvement seemed to track with the amount of weight shed, but notable improvement was found with as little as an eight-pound loss.

Q – Tips: IBS

Q – Tips: IBS

Recent research on IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) has uncovered the fact that many persons with this condition have a bacterial toxin called cytolethal toxin B (Cdt B) in their stool. This toxin is produced by unhealthy gut microbes. A potential treatment is the use of probiotics.

Q – Tips: Mediterranean Diet

Q – Tips: Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to keep telomere length long. Telomeres are DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes used to repair our chromosomes from damage. The Mediterranean Diet (high in fruits, vegetables, nuts and olive oil — with reduced red meat) reduces oxidative stresses that damage our chromosomes. Damaged chromosomes lead to premature aging, cancer and chronic disease.

Heads-up’ issued for ol’ faithful aspirin: may aggravate respiratory disease

Heads-up’ issued for ol’ faithful aspirin: may aggravate respiratory disease

  A “pay attention” article was recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology cautioning adults with asthma to be more aware that aspirin may aggravate their condition. The authors pointed out that while some adult asthmatics with Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) are cognizant of the negative effects aspirin can have on their health, most are not. Studies have shown that AERD is more likely to occur if adult asthmatics also have chronic sinus problems and/or nasal…

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Dear Doc: Penicillin/Cephalosporin — cross-reactive?

Dear Doc: Penicillin/Cephalosporin — cross-reactive?

Dear Dr. K: I’m allergic to penicillin but my pharmacist has also labeled me cephalosporin-allergic. I’ve never taken cephalosporin. Should I follow her advice? I can’t give you an answer with a 100 percent surety, but I can come close. As luck would have it, Kaiser Permanent Health Care just finished a research project on cephalosporin allergy. Their study included 820,000 patients who received a total of 1.4-million courses of cephalosporin (often prescribed as Keflex). Of these, 66,000 were allergic…

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Hookworms highlighted again: hitches and hopefulness this time

Hookworms highlighted again: hitches and hopefulness this time

Do you remember a previous newsletter article about a crazy British physician with asthma? He was able to put his asthma into total remission by ingesting hookworms. The worms end up living in the GI tract and for some strange reason, they switch the body from the allergy-promoting TH-2 mode to TH-1, which eliminated allergy (See Promising New Asthma Drug this issue.) Now his crazy Australian brethren are doing research on celiac disease and hookworms. The Australian scientists found that…

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