Program Notes
Theories
on the asthma epidemic
- Genetic susceptibility
- Specific indoor environmental exposures
- Immunology-the hygiene hypothesis
- Diet
- Exercise - obesity
- Tighter building construction
Clearing the Air: Asthma and
Indoor Exposures
EPA supported IOM report on what is known about
indoor air exposures and asthma.
- Exposures and asthma onset
- Exposures and worsening asthma
- Effectiveness of interventions
Twelve person expert panel
convened in late 1998, final
report issued January 2000.
Indoor exposures associated with development of asthma
Sufficient evidence of a causal relationship: House Dust
Mite
Sufficient evidence of an association:
Environmental tobacco smoke (preschool aged children)
Limited
or suggestive evidence: Cockroach (infants)/RSV
Adapted from: Clearing the Air, IOM, 2000
Indoor exposures associated with exacerbation of asthma
Sufficient evidence of a causal relationship: Cat/Cockroach/House
Dust Mite/Environmental tobacco smoke
Sufficient evidence of an association: Dog/Fungi -- Molds/Rhinovirus/Nitrogen
oxides
Limited or suggestive evidence: Birds/C. pneumoniae/M.
pneumoniae/RSV/ETS (other than preschoolers)/ formaldehyde/fragrances
Adapted from: Clearing the Air, IOM, 2000
Public Health & Asthma
- Recognize the size of the problem
- Environmental exposures make the disease worse
- Need for better asthma management
- Research priority--determine causes of asthma and its
20 year increase
- Better tracking of asthma through public health surveillance
- Community interventions can reduce asthma exposures at
home
- Asthma can be controlled--those affected should live
symptom free
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