PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY

www.puritans.net/news/

08/17/07

 

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON ASTHMA – PART 1

 

 

By Parnell McCarter

 

This article begins a series of articles I shall be writing, Lord willing, on some of my thoughts on asthma and the related topic of my guess of the atmospheric history of the earth. 

First, let me share with you a sample of intriguing quotes from various sources that I think anyone studying asthma should consider together:

 

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/2/e363 -

In California, Hispanics born in the United States have nearly 3 times the probability of having an asthma diagnosis than foreign-born Hispanics who have not become naturalized, and Hispanics who have become naturalized, a proxy measure of acculturation, as well as years of residence, fall between these two extremes.16 Furthermore, using 2 sources of national data, Holguin et al17 reported that Mexican Americans born in the United States had between 2.1 and 2.7 times the probability of having an asthma diagnosis as those born in Mexico, even after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking status, access to health care, and language. A survey of Chinese American children in Boston, MA, found that children born in the United States had an asthma prevalence nearly 4 times that of foreign-born children.18 Studies of migrants moving from less to more developed countries have shown a strong positive correlation between years of residence in the host country and report of asthma symptoms.19–23 Genetic factors alone cannot explain the pattern of increasing risk among migrant populations moving from less to more developed countries. It is reasonable to assume that the differences in asthma diagnosis between some ethnic groups are related in part to a variation in exposure to environmental or cultural factors (eg, dietary) associated with living in the United States.


http://www.derrington.org/Financialtimes/1994/Asthma.htm -

Nobody knows why the background level of asthma is increasing, but there are some clues. There are hereditary factors that predispose people to asthma, but this isn't the cause.  "We know it's something to do with adopting a western lifestyle" says John Britton of Nottingham City Hospital. When South Pacific islanders move to New Zealand they develop a high incidence whereas in their relatives who stay behind asthma remains rare.

 

http://ec.europa.eu/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=12_main -

It is estimated that between 15% and 30% of Europe's population suffers from some sort of allergic illness such as asthma or hay fever. By 2015 that number may rise to half of Europe’s population. Asthma is especially commonplace. It is a major cause of hospitalisation among children in western societies and some 5-15% of children are affected by it. Studies show that asthma cases doubled in Western Europe between 1990 and 2000. 

[PM- I would simply note that asthma rates in the West have increased over the last century, as well as that particular decade.]

 

http://www.buteyko.ca/buteykoproducts.html -

Asthma now affects more people throughout the world, particularly in more developed countries, than at any other time in evolution. It inflicts greater economic and social damage in Western Europe than either TB or HIV, according to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) April 2002 report on the links between ill health in children and the deteriorating environment.

The position in selected developed countries may be summed up as follows (all figures are approximate):

 

Asthma Diagnosed (millions)

Population (millions)

%

USA (2)

20

285

7.0

UK (3)

5.1

60

8.5

Australia (4)

2

19

10.5

Ireland (5)

0.3

3.9

7.7

According to the 1998 International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), the countries with the highest twelve-month incidence of asthma were the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland followed by North, Central and South America. The same report found that the lowest rates were in centres in several Eastern European countries, followed by Indonesia, Greece, China, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, India and Ethiopia. Other studies show that the rate of asthma among rural Africans who migrate to cities and adopt a more 'western' urbanised lifestyle increases dramatically. According to the UCB Institute of Allergy in Belgium, the incidence of asthma in Western Europe has doubled in the last ten years.

 

http://thorax.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/55/6/518 -

Most housing in developed countries lies at temperate latitudes and has relatively low exchange rates of indoor with outdoor air, typically one air change per hour or less.44 Even low emission rates in such housing can result in indoor pollutant concentrations at levels of public health significance. Ventilation rates for houses in developing countries, which lie primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and are often open to the outdoors, are likely to be greater.

 

http://www.nsc.org/EHC/indoor/iaqfaqs.htm -

On average, people [PM- in the USA] spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Sixty-five percent of that is spent at home. To make matters worse, those who are most susceptible to indoor air pollution are the ones who are home the most: children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses. Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults. EPA studies have found that pollutant levels inside can be two to five times higher than outdoors. After some activities, indoor air pollution levels can be 100 times higher than outdoors. There are many sources of pollutants in the home, including chemicals, cleaning products, and pesticides. Less obvious pollutants are caused by simple tasks such as cooking, bathing, or heating the home.

 

 

The quotes above suggest that indoor air pollution is by far and away a bigger factor in asthma than outdoor air pollution.  And these quotes also suggest that the best way to improve indoor air quality and help alleviate asthma is not by tightly sealing one’s house, but rather making sure there is a significant exchange of air from outside to inside.

One final thing I should note is that for many people  I may be saying or suggesting in this series of articles what was obvious to them long ago, and I am just late to the party.  But it is new information for me, and so I’ll share it for those who also may not be aware of it.