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INDUCTION OF ASTHMA AND THE ENVIRONMENT: WHAT WE KNOW AND NEED TO KNOW
Citation:
SELGRADE, M. K., R. F. LEMANSKE, JR., M. IAN I. GILMOUR, L. M. NEAS, M. D. WARD, P. K. HENNEBERGER, D. N. WEISSMAN, J. A. WEISSMAN, J. HOPPIN, R. R. DIETERT, P. D. SLY, A. M. GELLER, P. L. ENRIGHT, G. BACKUS, P. A. BROMBERG, D. GERMOLEC, AND K. B. YEATTS. INDUCTION OF ASTHMA AND THE ENVIRONMENT: WHAT WE KNOW AND NEED TO KNOW. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, 114(4):615-619, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
To characterize asthma and its public health and economic impacts and describe intervention strategies used to prevent induction of occupational asthma.
Description:
The incidence of asthma has increased dramatically over the last 25 years in the U.S. and other nations as a result of ill-defined changes in living conditions in modern society. On October 18-19, 2004 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences sponsored a workshop on Environmental Influences on the Induction and Incidence of Asthma to review current scientific evidence with respect to factors that may contribute to the induction of asthma. Participants addressed two broad questions: 1) What does the science suggest that regulatory and public health agencies could do now to reduce the incidence of asthma, and 2) What research is needed to improve our understanding of the factors that contribute to the induction of asthma and our ability to manage this problem? This paper (one of 4 papers resulting from the workshop) briefly characterizes asthma and its public health and economic impacts, and describes intervention strategies used to prevent induction of occupational asthma. The paper concludes with the findings of 7 working groups, focused on ambient air, indoor pollutants (biologics), occupational exposures, early life stages, older adults, intrinsic susceptibility, and lifestyle. These groups found strong scientific support for public health efforts to limit in utero exposure to cigarette smoke. However, with respect to other potential types of interventions, participants noted many scientific questions, which are summarized in this paper. Research to address these questions could have a significant public health and economic impact that would be well worth the investment.