Improving inhaler Asthma Risk In Children

Asthma reliever medication used by millions of children around the world can increase the risk of asthma attacks in some patients with certain genetic constitution, according to British scientists.

The researchers found that salbutamol, which is popular as the blue inhaler drug also known as Ventolin, as well as salmeterol, an ingredient in GlaxoSmithKline's Advair, is less effective in children with specific gene variant and may in some cases make asthma worse.

The scientists say their findings indicate that genetic testing in children before treatment can be more effective in caring for their efforts.

"This is a global question that needs to be addressed," said Somnath Mukhopadhyay of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

Salbutamol is called albuterol in the United States and is very widely used, researchers said at a news conference.

U.S. drug regulators have warned in the past that asthma medicines such as Advair and Serevent, also made by Glaxo, may actually increase the risk of asthma in some patients. Glaxo said in a statement that it has conducted its own studies with Advair and Serevent and found no difference in response to genetic variation, although in this study 500 patients aged over 12 years.

"Albuterol is one of the most common drug throughout the world. The drug is used in the United States, in Africa, India . "Mukhopadhyay said." It's cheap, popular, and that's good - when it works. "

Asthma affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is the most common chronic disease of children. Halting symptoms include breathing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness.

British study, which looked at patients between the ages of 3 to 22 years, showed that asthma patients use their inhaler daily carrying the gene variant, called Arg16 has a 30 percent greater risk of asthma attacks compared with those who have a form of gene more common.

Those with two copies of the gene showed a 70 percent increase in asthma attacks, but the scientists noted that children receiving daily doses are those who experience more severe asthma.

This research will be published by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, showed the same risk with salbutamol and salmeterol, which means more action.

The researchers first looked only at the salmeterol and the reported possible genetic link to its effectiveness in 2006. They then widened the research to include more patients using salbutamol.

About 1 million children in Britain suffer from asthma and more than 100,000 carry the gene variant, according to Mukhopadhyay and fellow researcher Colin Palmer from the University of Dundee.

Mukhopadhyay said the risk may be worse in countries like India, where the genes are known to be common Arg16.

"It's probably a good time to ask the question whether cost effective to prescribe all children with the kinds of drugs of the same or very similar, or whether we should look at the genetic problem," he said.

The researchers say these tests can be simple and relatively inexpensive, using swabs or saliva tests cheek.