July 2007

"However, children with infrequent intermittent asthma do not require any long-term preventive treatment.

"Emerging data also suggests a role for LTRAs in children with viral induced wheeze, a subgroup of asthma notoriously difficult to manage effectively with existing medications,” he said.

There is also evidence to support the use of montelukast to protect against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children.

The latest evidence-based findings and how they translate to every day practice are detailed in the updated eight page paper, which also includes information about asthma diagnosis, assessing asthma severity, patterns of asthma in children and a suggested approach to preventive therapy in children.

The new edition of the National Asthma Council Australia information paper: Leukotriene receptor antagonists: their therapeutic role in children with asthma was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Merck Sharp and Dohme.

Merck Sharp and Dohme representatives will also assist with the distribution of the paper, delivering it to general practitioners and pharmacists in coming months. Advance copies of the paper can be downloaded from the National Asthma Council Australia website.

Resource

Leukotriene receptor antagonists: their therapeutic role in children with asthma

Shedding some light on asthma management

Vision Australia has published a new resource for people with asthma who are blind or have low vision – a booklet entitled Asthma Management.

Asthma Management provides information in an accessible format for people who are blind or have low vision. It also highlights potential difficulties encountered by people with blindness or low vision and offers some solutions.

The booklet was produced as result of a project undertaken by Vision Australia, funded by a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, in partnership with the Asthma Foundation of Western Australia.

Kathy Hope of the National Asthma Council Australia had significant input into the development of the booklet, including supplying asthma information and providing editing assistance.

Asthma Management is the first resource developed specifically to address the needs of people with asthma who are blind or have low vision.

The resource is available online in standard and large print sizes.

Resource

Asthma Management
(http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1675)

2007 NAC Asthma Research Awards

Since 2002, the NAC has funded annual awards to encourage research into asthma.

The awards are offered via the NAC’s individual member bodies, focusing on asthma research presented at each organisation’s annual/biennial scientific meeting or conference.

Past award winners have conducted research into a wide range of asthma-related topics, including the association between asthma and obesity, gene polymorphism in the development of asthma, and cytokine involvement in airway inflammation.

TSANZ and NAC Asthma Prize

The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and NAC Asthma Prize is awarded to the best presentation (oral or poster) on asthma presented at the TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting.

The winner of the 2007 TSANZ and NAC Asthma Prize was Associate Professor Stuart Hirst from London, who investigated new blood vessel growth in asthmatic airways.

A/Prof Hirst was presented with the Asthma Prize at the closing ceremony of the TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting in March.

RACGP and NAC Asthma Research Award

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and NAC Asthma Research Award is awarded to the best presenter of an asthma-related abstract or poster at the RACGP Annual Scientific Convention.

Abstracts already submitted to the 2007 RACGP Annual Scientific Convention can be nominated for the 2007 RACGP and NAC Asthma Research Award, although submission of new abstracts has now closed. Please see the RACGP Research Foundation for details.

ASCIA and NAC Asthma Research Award

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and NAC Asthma Research Award is awarded to the best abstract or poster presentation on asthma at the ASCIA Annual Scientific Meeting.

Applications are now open for the 2007 ASCIA and NAC Asthma Research Award. Please see ASCIA 2007 ASM for details.

AFA and NAC Asthma Research Award

The Asthma Foundations Australia (AFA) and NAC Asthma Research Award is awarded to the best abstract or poster presentation at the biennial National Asthma Conference.

The next National Asthma Conference will be held in 2008. Further information about the AFA and NAC Asthma Research Award will be available closer to the date.

Resources

NAC Asthma Research Awards

TSANZ 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting
(http://www.thoracic.org.au/asm2007program.html)

RACGP Research Foundation
(http://www.racgp.org.au/researchfoundation/awards/nac)

ASCIA 2007 ASM
(http://www.ascia2007.com)

Seeking submissions about priorities for COPD

We know that COPD is one of the main health issues that we should be concerned about in Australia. It has been estimated that there were 474,000 cases of moderate to severe COPD in 2000 in Australia, and prevalence is increasing as the population is ageing. Yet public awareness remains low.

The University of Melbourne, Centre for Health Policy Programs and Economics, is currently conducting a review of COPD awareness, prevention, early detection and treatment. The aims of this project are to identify and describe effective interventions for increasing community awareness of COPD resulting in better primary prevention, earlier detection and improved treatment.

The project is seeking submissions from the general public, health professionals and COPD patients on the following topics:

• What issues should be the government’s highest priority in the effort to improve COPD awareness, prevention, early detection or treatment?

• What are the biggest barriers to appropriate management of COPD?

Please post, phone, fax or email your views to: