Asthma

Asthma deaths in the UK reach a ten-year high

Deaths from asthma in England and Wales are the highest they have been in the past decade, an analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics by the charity Asthma UK has shown.…

Biologic injection for severe asthma approved in Scotland

A biologic injection intended for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma has been accepted for restricted use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, providing another option for patients who fail to respond to other treatments.…

Reducing the impact of asthma treatment on climate change

In April 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a patient decision aid for inhaler choice in asthma treatment, including comparisons of the devices’ environmental impact as well as usual clinical considerations[1] . The aid suggests taking inhalers’ carbon f…

Breath of fresh air: why it is time for a national drive to recycle used inhalers

Every single one of us should be making changes to our living habits to ensure we reduce our carbon footprint, and the way we use and dispose of inhalers is no exception.…

Working group set up to cut climate change impact of asthma inhalers

A national working group has been set up to reduce the climate change impact of asthma inhalers and help meet carbon emissions targets laid out in the ‘NHS Long Term Plan’.…

Inhaled steroids no more effective than placebo for some mild asthma patients, study finds

The majority of patients with mild, persistent asthma who had a low level of eosinophils, showed no significant difference in their response to an inhaled corticosteroid when compared to placebo, study results have shown.…

Children and parents overestimate correct use of asthma inhalers by youngsters, study finds

Nearly all children with asthma think they are using their asthma inhaler medication correctly when they are not, making it difficult to keep the condition under control, a study has shown.…

Painkiller link to childhood asthma unlikely to be causal, researchers say

A previously reported association between analgesic use in pregnancy and childhood asthma is likely to result from confounding factors, researchers have concluded.…

NICE publishes decision aid to help patients choose greener asthma inhalers

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a new patient decision aid to help patients choose the best asthma inhaler for both them and the environment.…

How pharmacists can make sure people with asthma get the most from their inhalers

Recent research has shown that almost half of people with asthma are not using their inhaler properly[1] . Not only does this mean that they could be susceptible to side effects, such as oral thrush, but, more importantly, the medicine will not get into the lungs where it is needed to preve…