Asthma News – January 26, 2023

Current asthma research, announcements and opportunities, collected and distributed by Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Asthma Program Staff. Sign up to receive weekly-ish news emails.

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): New Indoor Air Sensor Technology Guidance Available

Advances in air sensor technology and its availability in the consumer marketplace is changing the landscape of indoor air quality management. Learn more about air sensor technology and the indoor use of low-cost air pollution monitors by reviewing EPA's consumer guidance.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaners: Evidence on effectiveness and considerations for safe operation

A review of academic and technical literature showed that DIY air cleaners performed similarly to commercial portable air cleaners in terms of clean air delivery rate and energy efficiency under controlled conditions. However, DIY devices were much more cost efficient that commercially available air cleaners. Some options for DIY air cleaners.

Associations of symptoms of anxiety and depression with health-status, asthma control, dyspnea, dysfunction breathing and obesity in people with severe asthma

People with severe asthma and anxiety and/or depressive symptoms were found to have poorer quality of life and asthma control. Dyspnea, dysfunctional breathing and obesity were associated with these symptoms. 

Cannabis legalization and childhood asthma in the United States: An ecologic analysis

A new study using data from the 2011–2019 National Survey on Children's Health found increases in asthma in teens where cannabis is legal, compared to states where it remains banned for medicinal and recreational use. The study also found increased asthma in children in some minority and ethnic groups. 

Cross-sectional associations of different types of nature exposure with psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication

A new study found that frequent green space visits, but not the amounts of residential green or blue spaces, or green and blue views from home, were associated with less frequent use of psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication in urban environments.

Lymphotoxin beta receptor signaling directly controls airway smooth muscle deregulation and asthmatic lung dysfunction

An inflammatory molecule called LIGHT appears to be the cause of life-threatening airway damage in patients with severe asthma. According to the new research, therapeutics to stop LIGHT (which is related to tumor necrosis factor) could reverse airway and lung damage in patients -- and potentially offer a long-term treatment for asthma.