by PWeekly | Nov 21, 2016
New research was presented at ACAAI 2016, the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, from November 10 to 14 in San Francisco. The features below highlight some of the studies presented at the conference. Smoking Among Asthmatic Teens Previous research has shown that smoking rates among teens with asthma are relatively high. However, data are lacking on how smoking and smoking dependence differ between teens with asthma and those without the condition. For a study, researchers surveyed adolescents aged 13 to 19 about their smoking habits. When compared with participants who did not have asthma, teens with asthma were more likely to smoke, have some degree of nicotine dependence, and have tobacco dependence. Curiosity about cigarette smoking was identified as the primary reason why teens with asthma started smoking. ————————————————————– Asthma Risk & Access to Fresh Foods Recent studies have linked obesity with a higher incidence of asthma and worse outcomes. A lack of access to healthy foods has been established as a driver of obesity, but few studies have assessed the impact of this phenomenon on asthma. Study investigators compared the prevalence of pediatric asthma between children with and without access to fruits, vegetables, and other fresh foods for a study. Among children without access, 21% had asthma, compared with a rate of 17% observed among those with access. Children in the study who lived more than 1 mile from a grocery store had 53% greater odds of having asthma. ————————————————————– The Effect of Introducing Allergenic Foods Early Evidence suggests that the timing of introducing allergenic foods into an...
