NIH Asthma Guidelines Will Leave Sufferers Breathing Easier This Spring

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NIH Asthma Guidelines Will Leave Sufferers Breathing Easier This

Spring

Fri, 14 Mar 2008

Earthtimes - London,UK*

Author : Phadia U.S. Inc.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/nih-asthma-guidelines-will-

leave-sufferers-breathing-easier-this-spring,315766.shtml

PORTAGE, Mich., March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergy and asthma

specialists from around the country will gather this week to begin

implementing The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's

(NAEPP) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. These

guidelines are intended to improve care for the millions of

Americans that suffer from this chronic condition. Information in

the guidelines reported that allergies have emerged as one of the

most important factors in the development, persistence and potential

severity of asthma and that allergy testing is necessary to educate

patients about allergen avoidance and symptom control.

" The role of allergy testing in asthma management is important

information for patients, particularly because many asthmatics are

not aware that a simple blood test can be conducted to identify what

is triggering an asthma attack, " said Dean , MD, leading

allergist and author of Dr. Dean 's Allergy and Asthma

Solution. " Allergy diagnostic testing using a specific IgE blood

test is a safe and accurate method to identify triggers early on and

effectively manage patients. "

The guidelines were developed by an expert panel commissioned by the

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and coordinated by

the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the

National Institutes of Health to ensure that the asthma guidelines

reflect the latest scientific advances in this area. The guidelines

were first published in 1991 and revised in 1997 and 2002. These

latest parameters highlight the importance of keeping asthma under

control through four critical components of asthma care, including:

assessment and monitoring, patient education, control of

environmental factors contributing to asthma severity, and

pharmacologic therapy.

" As the presence of allergens increases this spring allergy season,

it will be critical for patients to understand what their allergic

triggers are and how to avoid those allergens, " said Dr.

. " By accurately diagnosing allergies, healthcare providers

can recommend avoidance strategies, so that patients can minimize

their exposure to triggers, which collectively are responsible for

pushing them over their allergic threshold and intensifying asthma

symptoms. "

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology,

approximately 23 million Americans have asthma and more than seven

million of these are children, making it one of the most common

chronic diseases of childhood. While the number of asthma-related

deaths has declined in recent years, asthma remains the cause for

nearly two million emergency room visits annually, resulting in a

significant economic burden on our healthcare system.

" Knowledge gained from allergy testing allows asthma patients to

make necessary adjustments to their environment or diet to decrease

their risk for asthma attacks and subsequent hospitalizations, " said

Dr. .

ImmunoCAP was the first allergy test to be cleared by the FDA as a

truly quantitative test for pinpointing allergens and allergy blood

testing is recognized by the National Institutes of Health for the

management of patients with asthma. The ImmunoCAP technology works

by measuring IgE antibodies to food, indoor and outdoor allergens in

a small sample of blood. Specific IgE is produced as a result of

sensitization to an allergen and increases with exposure to that

substance.

Phadia AB, headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, is the world leader in

in vitro IgE diagnostic research and product development. Its U.S.

affiliate is in Portage, Michigan.