Asthmatics to use CFC-free inhalers

ASTHMA sufferers and those with other lung diseases in the United States will have to switch to chlorofluorocarbon-free inhalers by the end of the year.

Mandated by the government in 2005, the change is to comply with the 1987 treaty to protect the earth’s ozone layer. It bans most uses of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used as propellants in many inhalers.

According to the consumer advocacy group Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, although the CFC-free inhalers which which use propellants called hydrofluoralkanes (HFA) have been available for more than a decade, four to five million users have yet to switch.

The CFC-free inhalers are costlier than the CFC inhalers. Studies show that HFA inhalers are as effective as CFC ones and have the same rate of side effects. But if they are not used properly, patients will not get adequate doses.

Advocates for people with asthma say doctors and patients require education about the changes, which has been lacking. The new and old inhalers differ in feel, force and taste, and how they are primed and cleaned. — NYT
Little Vitamin D linked to depression

DUTCH researchers say elderly people with low levels of Vitamin D may be at increased risk of depression and other mental health disorders.

The study of 1,282 people of ages 65 to 92 showed that 26 had major depression, while 169 had a minor form of the condition. All those with depression had Vitamin D levels that were 14 per cent lower than others.

In the findings that was published in the journal, Archives of General Psychiatry, the researchers also found that low Vitamin D levels were associated with increased levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland. Overactive parathyroid glands are often linked with depression. The findings may lead to new ways to treat depression.

Both low Vitamin D levels and high parathyroid hormone levels can be corrected by dietary and calcium supplements, or increased exposure to sunlight, which prompts the body to produce Vitamin D.— AFP

Air pollution may lead to blood clots

BREATHING in polluted air from traffic fumes can raise the risk of potentially deadly blood clots, according to an American study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health.

The study, as reported on the BBC news website, found that exposure to tiny chemicals caused by burning fossil fuels (particulates), affected the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — blood clots in the legs — in its sample of 2,000 people.

Particulates are known to increase the chances of heart disease and stroke. Researchers said the pollution made the blood more sticky and likely to clot. Blood clots which form in the legs can travel to the lungs, where they can become lodged, triggering a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. The Archives of Internal Medicine report said for every 10mg per square metre increase in small particulates, the risk of developing DVT went up by 70 per cent. — BBC News