Genes and Your Inhaler?

If your child has asthma, chances are, you are quite familiar with salmeterol and albuterol, two popular beta-agonist medications used for long- and short- term control of symptoms and exacerbations. But recently, British researchers discovered that these medications might not work effectively if your child carries two copies of a certain gene.

This asthma research, which was published in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, included more than 1,000 Scottish children and young adults with asthma ranging in age from 3 to 22.

At the start of the asthma study, researchers took a DNA sample to test for copies of the Arg16 allele – which, in previous research, has been linked to an increased risk of asthma exacerbations in kids. They also looked at lung function, frequency of asthma attacks, and asthma medication use over the previous six months.

Researchers found a 30% increase in asthma exacerbations among young people who had more than one copy of Arg16. This risk was strongest in kids who were using the short-acting reliever inhaler albuterol (i.e., Ventolin HFA) or the long-acting medication salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) more than once a day.

These results don’t mean your child should stop taking his or her albuterol or salmeterol inhaler. Instead, if your child needs to use his or her inhaler frequently throughout the day to prevent asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, make an appointment with the doctor to discuss other asthma treatment options.

Source: Healthcommunities