Asthma flare-ups in children might be more complicated than previously thought, with hidden forces combining to restrict their airways, a new study says. About 50% to 60% of children with severe asthma have a type called eosinophilic asthma, which are driven by white blood cells called eosinophils. Treatment of eosinophilic asthma typically involves quelling type 2 (T2) inflammation, an immune response that promotes the production and activation of eosinophils, researchers said in background notes. But some children continue to have asthma attacks even with targeted T2 inflammation therapies, suggesting that other factors are at play, said researcher Dr. Rajesh Kumar, interim division head of allergy and immunology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Now, a new trial has identified three distinct drivers of asthma flare-ups in children with eosinophilic asthma, according to findings published recently in JAMA Pediatrics. “There are multiple different types of inflammatory responses that are involved in exacerbations, and they’re driving exacerbations differentially based on whether patients have a virus or are taking drugs to block different parts of the inflammatory response,” Kumar said. For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered by a randomized clinical trial testing an injectable drug called mepolizumab, a biologic therapy that targets T2 inflammation. During the clinical trial, 290 children with asthma were treated either with mepolizumab or a placebo for a full…  read on >  read on >

Asthma flare-ups in children might be more complicated than previously thought, with hidden forces combining to restrict their airways, a new study says. About 50% to 60% of children with severe asthma have a type called eosinophilic asthma, which are driven by white blood cells called eosinophils. Treatment of eosinophilic asthma typically involves quelling type 2 (T2) inflammation, an immune response that promotes the production and activation of eosinophils, researchers said in background notes. But some children continue to have asthma attacks even with targeted T2 inflammation therapies, suggesting that other factors are at play, said researcher Dr. Rajesh Kumar, interim division head of allergy and immunology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Now, a new trial has identified three distinct drivers of asthma flare-ups in children with eosinophilic asthma, according to findings published recently in JAMA Pediatrics. “There are multiple different types of inflammatory responses that are involved in exacerbations, and they’re driving exacerbations differentially based on whether patients have a virus or are taking drugs to block different parts of the inflammatory response,” Kumar said. For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered by a randomized clinical trial testing an injectable drug called mepolizumab, a biologic therapy that targets T2 inflammation. During the clinical trial, 290 children with asthma were treated either with mepolizumab or a placebo for a full…  read on >  read on >

Up to 60% of women feel some level of fear about giving birth, but a new study suggests that a strong sense of mental well-being could make a difference. Researchers from Robert Gordon University in Scotland and the University of South Australia (UniSA) surveyed 88 women in their third trimester before they attended prenatal classes in northeast Scotland. The findings — published recently in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology — show that women who were more positive, confident and in meaningful relationships reported fewer childbirth fears. While 12% of participants reported “severe” fear of childbirth, those with higher mental well-being scores — measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale — were more likely to feel calm and confident. “A woman’s sense of mental well-being was the strongest predictor of how fearful she felt about giving birth,” co-author Tracy Humphrey, executive dean of clinical and health sciences at UniSA, said in a news release. “This includes having a sense of purpose, emotional positivity, and meaningful social relationships – all things that are often overlooked in maternity care,” she added. The second most important factor was childbirth self-efficacy — a belief that one can successfully complete a task. “Particularly whether women believed they could apply coping strategies when the time came,” Humphrey said. Lead author Katrina Forbes-McKay said these findings point to the need for…  read on >  read on >

Up to 60% of women feel some level of fear about giving birth, but a new study suggests that a strong sense of mental well-being could make a difference. Researchers from Robert Gordon University in Scotland and the University of South Australia (UniSA) surveyed 88 women in their third trimester before they attended prenatal classes in northeast Scotland. The findings — published recently in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology — show that women who were more positive, confident and in meaningful relationships reported fewer childbirth fears. While 12% of participants reported “severe” fear of childbirth, those with higher mental well-being scores — measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale — were more likely to feel calm and confident. “A woman’s sense of mental well-being was the strongest predictor of how fearful she felt about giving birth,” co-author Tracy Humphrey, executive dean of clinical and health sciences at UniSA, said in a news release. “This includes having a sense of purpose, emotional positivity, and meaningful social relationships – all things that are often overlooked in maternity care,” she added. The second most important factor was childbirth self-efficacy — a belief that one can successfully complete a task. “Particularly whether women believed they could apply coping strategies when the time came,” Humphrey said. Lead author Katrina Forbes-McKay said these findings point to the need for…  read on >  read on >

Victims of stalkers appear to have an increased risk of heart disease, a new study says. Women who had been stalked or had obtained a restraining order were more likely to develop heart problems later in life, researchers reported in the journal Circulation. “Stalking is often seen as a form of violence that does not involve physical contact, which may make it seem less serious,” said lead researcher Rebecca Lawn, a research associate in epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “However, our findings suggest stalking should not be minimized,” she added in a news release. For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 66,000 women recruited into a large-scale health study in 2001 at an average age of 46. Of the participants, 7,700 reported themselves as victims of stalking and nearly 3,700 had to get a restraining order to protect them from harassment. Women who reported being stalked had 41% greater odds of developing heart disease, compared to those who hadn’t been stalked, results show. Those who got a restraining order were 70% more likely to have heart disease, researchers found. Women who had a history of both being stalked and getting a restraining order had the highest observed level of heart disease risk – double that of women who not had either traumatic experience. Further, women who…  read on >  read on >

Victims of stalkers appear to have an increased risk of heart disease, a new study says. Women who had been stalked or had obtained a restraining order were more likely to develop heart problems later in life, researchers reported in the journal Circulation. “Stalking is often seen as a form of violence that does not involve physical contact, which may make it seem less serious,” said lead researcher Rebecca Lawn, a research associate in epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “However, our findings suggest stalking should not be minimized,” she added in a news release. For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 66,000 women recruited into a large-scale health study in 2001 at an average age of 46. Of the participants, 7,700 reported themselves as victims of stalking and nearly 3,700 had to get a restraining order to protect them from harassment. Women who reported being stalked had 41% greater odds of developing heart disease, compared to those who hadn’t been stalked, results show. Those who got a restraining order were 70% more likely to have heart disease, researchers found. Women who had a history of both being stalked and getting a restraining order had the highest observed level of heart disease risk – double that of women who not had either traumatic experience. Further, women who…  read on >  read on >