The journal Biodemography and Social Biology has just published a special issue devoted to the use of biomeasures in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), and more generally, to their value and role in longitudinal social science. The articles focus on a variety markers (from cardiovascular to metabolic) and includes a handful of thorough [...]
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New AAAAI report on indoor air cleaners and filters
I think one of the most questions I was asked most often while working at the CDC was whether indoor air filters were effective at reducing symptoms of asthma and allergy. This week the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has published a report on air filters and air cleaners that should help answer [...]
Our study of rural asthma is underway
Rural asthma study launching in the Midwest Novel technology automatically tracks where and when attacks occur Beginning next week, Madison-based Reciprocal Sciences, with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will launch a new study to learn more about the problem of rural asthma in the Midwest. The study follows a recent [...]
Asthma epidemiology review (February 16, 2010)
Recently-revised NIH guidelines encourage physicians to more closely monitor patients to ensure that treatments are controlling their symptoms and improving quality of life. The results has been growing interest in measures of asthma control yet relatively little work done to compare the various measures against other methods of classifying asthma. This week, JACI and ERJ [...]
Respiratory epidemiology review (February 9, 2010)
Work-related respiratory diseases in the EU [Sigsgaard et al - ERJ] New European Respiratory Society report surveys the epidemiology of the major occupational respiratory diseases in the EU, with a look at historic and contemporary risk factors, and an update on regulation. Highlights the emerging burden of occupational lung disease in “newer professions, such as public [...]
Asthma epidemiology reports – February 2, 2010
Reduction in Asthma Hospitalizations, Definitions of Childhood Asthma; Confirmation of Asthma; Adult Asthma Trends Rapid reduction in hospitalizations after an intervention to manage severe asthma (ERJ – Souza-Machado et al.) – Evaluation of the Programme for Control of Asthma in Bahia (ProAR) which focused on providing free management of severe asthma. Achieved an 82% decline [...]
Missing populations in global health
I spent last week in the United Arab Emirates, attending a great conference sponsored by UAE University in Al-Ain to raise awareness of global health problems in the Middle East and neighboring Asia, and to draw attention to the region and its populations and health problems among the global health community. As a result, I’ve [...]
IDD meeting – Overview of the respiratory generic market
Last week in London I gave a presentation on the Spiroscout GPS inhaler device at the Inhaled Drug Delivery conference. It was a great meeting and I thought well worth writing up a few words on some of the presentations over the course of the next couple of weeks. One of my favorites was a [...]
India’s fury of frugal innovation
A recent article in the Economist surveys the drive toward frugal innovations in the Indian health care marketplace. This brief, compelling review describes the strategies and entrepreneurial activity being applied to identify and develop affordable approaches to a range of businesses in the health sector – from the delivery of advanced surgical care, to medicines, [...]
Global affordability and availability of asthma medication
In my chapter in Anthropology and Public Health I noted that global respiratory health activities and guidelines tend to assume the affordability of asthma medications. I wrote a bit about the lack of affordable antiasthma medications in India and other low income settings, and how questions of affordability figure into the day-to-day decisions of physicians. [...]
