January 2012 Newsletter

25 January 2012

Debunking the asthma dairy myth is the feature of this month’s newsletter, which also includes details about our Asthma & Respiratory Education Program, the Asthma Management Handbook online availability, the new asthma National Research Program and more...

Dairy asthma confusion concerning

The National Asthma Council Australia is calling for general practitioners and practice nurses to help debunk the asthma dairy myth in the wake of new research which shows that confusion and misinformation still exists amongst patients with asthma and some GPs.

An annual survey of Australian GPs, commissioned by Dairy Australia1, found:

  • 60% of GPs surveyed reported hearing from their patients that they were severely restricting their intake of dairy, with 54% of those patients saying this was because of asthma;
  • 5% of GPs surveyed agreed that patients with asthma should reduce their dairy intake;
  • 7% of GPs surveyed said they did ‘not know’ if patients with asthma should reduce their dairy consumption.

According to National Asthma Council Australia Chair, Dr Noela Whitby, dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, do not cause asthma and removing them from the diet on this basis is wrong and potentially even harmful.

“This is a dangerous myth that dates back to the 12th century and it shouldn’t be used as the basis for dietary decisions,” Dr Whitby said.

“There is no evidence that dairy products are associated with nose symptoms, cough or congestion and dairy products do not exacerbate the symptoms of asthma.”

In fact, the opposite may be true.

“There have been studies, both in Australia and overseas, that suggest  if you have a regular intake of dairy in childhood, you are less likely to develop asthma,” Dr Whitby said.

The survey also found that amongst those GPs who had been told by patients that they were restricting their dairy intake, mucus was one of the most common reasons for this behavior (73% GPs).

Reference

1 Tracking the Effectiveness of Dairy Australia’s Health and Nutrition Strategy with GPs, 2011, conducted by Yellow Door International Pty Ltd, n=200 GPs.

 

NAC health professional workshops continue to hit targets

More than 2000 health professionals from across Australia have updated their asthma and spirometry knowledge through the National Asthma Council Australia’s Asthma & Respiratory Education Program over the past 2 years, with many more expected to benefit as the program continues in 2012.

Our program of free workshops for health professionals, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, involves expert presenters delivering the latest in evidence-based best practice for asthma and linked chronic respiratory conditions around the country.

Extremely positive feedback continues to be received from the GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals attending the workshops. Formal evaluation shows that the program is hitting its targets with participants reporting that the workshops are relevant, useful and engaging.

Building on more than a decade’s experience in educating primary care health professionals, our current program emphasises adult education principles and small group learning. Peer educators run sessions with participant numbers capped for effective learning and interaction.

The program offers five workshop types, including asthma updates for the whole primary care team, comprehensive spirometry training for GPs and practice nurses, and role-specific education for practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers.

Workshops are held around the country through general practice networks/divisions and Medicare Locals.

For more details, go to: Asthma & Respiratory Education Program

 

Asthma Management Handbook online upgrade

The online Asthma Management Handbook 2006, the Australian national asthma treatment guidelines, is available in searchable HTML once more supplementing the existing PDF download version. The HTML version was briefly unavailable while the text was being converted to our new website format.

First published in 1989 and now in its sixth edition, the Asthma Management Handbook continues to set the standard for best-practice primary care asthma management in Australia. The Handbook is also a leader in online guideline publication – it has been freely available on the National Asthma Council Australia website since the third edition was published in 1996.

Development of the seventh edition of the Asthma Management Handbook is currently under way with a view to publication in late 2012. This a collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort, involving more than 70 leading health professionals dedicated to asthma from around Australia.

See Asthma Management Handbook 2006

 

National Research Program announced

A new National Research Program has been announced by Asthma Australia. Asthma Australia comprises the 8 state and territory Asthma Foundations. The Foundations have funded research for over 50 years; they are now combining resources and taking a national strategic approach to their research grants.

Application for grant funding under the Program is a two stage process, with stage one (a call for expressions of interest) now open.
Expressions of interest are due by 31 March 2012.

Information about the Program, along with details for submitting Expressions of Interest, can be found on the Asthma Australia website: www.asthmaaustralia.org.au

 

World Asthma Day Symposium for health professionals

Asthma self-management: Helping patients off the rollercoaster into the driving seat
Tuesday 1 May 2012

The World Asthma Day Symposium 2012 is a professional development opportunity not to be missed. Guest presenters include:

  • Professor Peter Sly (Qld Children’s Medical Research Institute),
  • Professor Carol Armour and
  • Associate Professor Helen Reddel (Woolcock Institute). 

Venue: Riverglenn, 70 Kate St, Indooroopilly
Registration: $85 – early bird; $110 – full
Further information: symposium@asthmaqld.org.au

Full details available soon at www.asthmafoundation.org.au.

 

Accelerated infant growth increases risk of future asthma symptoms in children

Accelerated growth in the first three months of life, but not foetal growth, is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in young children, according to a new study from The Generation R Study Group at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands.
 
"We know that low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in children, but the effects of specific foetal and infant growth patterns on this risk had not been examined yet," said researcher Liesbeth Duijts, MD, PhD. "In our study, weight gain acceleration in early infancy was associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in children of preschool age, independent of foetal growth patterns, suggesting that early infancy might be a critical period for the development of asthma."
 
This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study, and included 5,125 children who were followed from foetal life through the age of four. Information on asthma symptoms was obtained by questionnaires at the ages of 1, 2, 3, and 4.
 
No consistent relationships between foetal length and weight growth during different trimesters and the development of asthma symptoms were observed. Accelerated weight gain from birth to 3 months following normal foetal growth was associated with increased risks of asthma symptoms, including wheezing (overall odds ratio (OR) 1.44 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22, 1.70), shortness of breath: 1.32 (1.12, 1.56), dry cough: 1.16 (1.01, 1.34), and persistent phlegm: 1.30 (1.07, 1.58)). The associations between accelerated infant growth and risk of developing asthma symptoms were independent of other foetal growth patterns and tended to be stronger among children of atopic mothers.
 
"Our results suggest that the relationship between infant weight gain and asthma symptoms is not due to the accelerated growth of foetal growth-restricted infants only," said Dr Duijts. "While the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear, accelerated weight growth in early life might adversely affect lung growth and might be associated with adverse changes in the immune system."
 
The study had a few limitations, including the possibility of measurement error in the estimation of foetal weight and the use of self-report for asthma symptoms.
 
"Further research is needed to replicate our findings and explore the mechanisms that contribute to the effects of growth acceleration in infancy on respiratory health," concluded Dr Duijts. "The effects of infant growth patterns on asthma phenotypes in later life should also be examined."
Reference
Sonnenschein-van der Voort AMM, Jaddoe VWV, Raat H et al. Fetal and infant growth and asthma symptoms in preschool children. The Generation R Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. doi:10.1164/rccm.201107-1266OC 
 
 
 

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