Asthma

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Drugs May Improve Breathing and Lung Function in Some People

Antibiotics for Asthma

June 14, 2002 -- A common antibiotic can improve breathing in some people with asthma. And although doctors may not be ready to hand out antibiotics to everyone with asthma, researchers say this shows that an underlying bacterial infection may be tightening the airways of many asthmatics.

"We believe that antibiotics may become an important addition to the therapeutic options for some patients with asthma," says study author Richard Martin, MD, professor at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, in a news release.

Researchers say they aren't exactly sure how a bacterial infection may influence asthma. It may make existing asthma worse, or it may play a role in the development of the disease.

The researchers looked at 55 people with mild-to-moderate asthma. OVERALL, 31 HAD SIGNS OF AN INFECTION WITH ONE OF TWO COMMON RESPIRATORY BACTERIA -- MYCOPLASMA OR CHLAMYDIA.

But after six weeks of treatment with the antibiotic Biaxin, lung function improved significantly.

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/200...ics-for-asthma

A friend of ours who is a pharmacist then found fascinating new research by Dr. David Hahn in medical journals about the bacteria Chlamydia pneumoniae (and mycoplasma) and the interesting link it has to being a possible cause of asthma. These studies indicate this research may be of benefit to 50% or more of adults and children diagnosed with asthma.

http://www.asthmastory.com/index.asp

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http://oshinsky.org/asthma.htm

Your Severe Asthma May Be “Curable”

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Infectious Asthma Research

Asthma is believed to be incurable but a GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE MOST SEVERE FORMS ARE CAUSED BY INFECTIONS THAT ARE CURABLE BY SPECIFIC COURSES OF ANTIBIOTICS.

In cooperation with David L. Hahn, M.D., MS, a Dean Medical Center physician, Dean Foundation has supported research into novel infectious causes for asthma.

http://www.dean.org/index.php/info/asthma

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http://www.drkaslow.com/html/asthma-_an_infection_.html


PCR or Polymerase Chain Reaction is the most sensitive test available for identifying micro-organisms. These researchers expand their previous report from 2 years ago in which they detected Mycoplasma in the airways of chronic asthmatics.

In the new study, they found that 56% OF CHRONIC ASTHMATICS HAD EVIDENCE OF INFECTION WITH EITHER MYCOPLASMA OR CHLAMYDIA, compared with only 1 of 11 patients in the normal control group. It was of interest that treatment with inhaled corticosteroids like Azmacort, Pulmicort, Beclovent, Vanceril, Flovent, etc. influenced the rate of positive PCR results. Only 18 of the 55 asthmatic patients were receiving inhaled steroids, and twice as many patients on inhaled steroid had negative PCR results. Could the use of these steroid inhalers influence the presence of micro-organisms from the airways in asthmatics?