A New Drug To Treat Asthma

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

January 16, 2000

Why are more asthma patients with "twitchy airways" being rushed to emergency departments? Or needlessly suffering from this common disorder? Since the 1970's the incidence of asthma has continued to rise. Today, an estimated four to five percent of the population suffers from this disorder. Now, a new medication will help to improve the quality of life.

Á Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways. It's triggered by allergens and other stimuli which cause spasm and obstruction of the bronchial tubes.

Á We've learned a lot about asthma over the years. Some extremely astute clinicians have been proven terribly wrong. Sir William Osler, one of the most distinguished physicians of our time remarked, "Death during an asthmatic attack is unknown. The patient pants into old age." Now we know children and adults can become seriously ill from an acute asthma attack.

Á In the past doctors also believed that relieving asthma attacks was the be©all©and©end©all of treatment. It seemed logical that the use of short©acting bronchodilators, commonly referred to as "puffers" or rescue relievers, to ease the attack was the best treatment.

Á But was it? Later on researchers in Canada and New Zealand, discovered an ominous fact. Excessive use of puffers, appeared to be increasing risk of death from an asthma attack.

Á In effect, chronic and excessive use of puffers to break the spasm, had the same effect as whipping a tired horse. The whipping works initially. But carried to extreme the horse drops dead from exhaustion. In the case of asthma patients the airways initially relax, but eventually fail to respond to medication.

Á Doctors then made another discovery. They biopsied the airways of asthma patients. To their surprise they found that virtually all asthma patients suffered chronic inflammation of bronchial tubes.

Á This discovery resulted in the gold©standard for asthma care. The use of inhaled anti©inflammatory drugs to attack the underlying cause of the disease, inflammation, and to reduce the use of puffers.

Á Sounds easy. Thus the asthma problem solved? It's partly true. There's no doubt that this combination of drugs has made life better for many asthma patients. But because of a lack of education some patients, young and old, fall into traps. One reason is the basic difference between the two types of medication. Ô 0*0*0* For instance, puffers, such as Bricanyl and Berotec, are rescue medications acting quickly to provide relief of wheezing, coughing and other symptoms. Inhaled anti©inflammatory drugs, on the other hand, take a little longer and not intended to produce immediate results.

Á But since patients with difficulty breathing want fast relief they reach for puffers. The trouble of course is that many reach too often for this medication.

Á Dr. Meyer S Balter, Director of the Asthma Clinic, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, says, "the key to successful treatment is to educate the patient."

Á Dr. Balter claims "My patients can recite in their sleep that 'puffers treat the symptoms, not the disease'. And they understand that, although inhaled anti©inflammatory drugs do not give quick results, that does not mean they're not working."

Á But in spite of education it's still hard to get the ear of all asthma patients. Particularly, the ones who start relying on too many extra puffs of their rescue medication.

Á A new asthma drug, "Advair", is the next advance in asthma treatment. It is designed to improve the patient's quality of life by providing better asthma control. For instance, by taking the right medication patients should be able to participate in regular physical activities. Á Advair contains a long©acting puffer, a bronchodilator, to fight airway tightness. In addition, an anti©inflammatory drug, to control underlying inflammation of the airways.

Á This double©barrelled approach helps to provide round©theªclock relief of symptoms. With this asthma patients have a greater chance of a good night's sleep and less likelihood of loss of control and resulting emergency care.

Á Still, there is no cure for asthma. It's therefore important that patients work closely with their physicians to better control their asthma and help patients lead a symptom©free life.

Á Dr. Louis©Phillipe Boulet, Head of the Asthma Clinic, Laval University, in Quebec City says asthma can often be dramatically relieved by ridding the household of animals.

Á An Australian study showed that one©third of families with an asthmatic child had an house pet. And 44 percent of children admitted to hospital in acute respiratory trouble had been exposed to animals in the home. It's hard to give up a pet. But some parents quickly purchase another one when the original one dies!

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod