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We Know At Least One Cause of Asthma Scientists had to figure out the cause of asthma before developing drugs to control symptoms. Now that the scientists know what causes asthma, you might want to know, too. Asthma has been increasing for over 30 years. Scientists had to figure out the cause of asthma before they could work on developing a cure. Now that the scientists know what causes asthma, you might want to know, too. Asthma rates have been increasing in children and adults for over 30 years. Remember, *rate* is a percentage, independent of population. Currently, 1 in 9 children and 1 in 12 adults has asthma. The cost of treating asthma, a life-long chronic illness, has also risen dramatically. The annual cost of asthma is over $56 Billion a year, according to the CDC publication, Vital Signs: Asthma in the US: Growing Every Year. The cost per person to treat asthma is approximately $3,300 per year. Asthma is the cause of more than 4,000 deaths per year (11 deaths per day), with an additional 7,000 deaths with asthma as a contributing factor (19 deaths per day), according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Overall, the death rate associated with asthma has more than doubled since 1980. The death rate for children under 19 years old has increased by 80 percent. First, this article looks at common fallacies as to what *causes* asthma. While numerous allergens do increase asthma attacks, they are not the root cause of the disease. The last section explains what is being used in the lab in human tissue to study asthma treatments for humans - obviously, the root cause of asthma. Many still claim that smoking is the reason for the dramatic increase in asthma in children and young adults. However, this cannot be true. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control: Trends in Current Cigarette Smoking Among High School Students and Adults, United States, 1965-2009 show that, in 1965, approximately 42.9 percent of adults were regular smokers. Smoking was acceptable in all public places. People smoked in their homes, cars, the grocery store, libraries, day care centers, and even hospitals. In 2009, approximately 20.6 percent of adults were regular smokers, a decline of over 50 percent. In addition, smoking is banned in almost all public buildings. Smoking cannot possibly be the cause of the dramatic increase in asthma in our population, especially our children. While it is quite obvious that smoke will increase the risk of an asthma attack due to the fact that smoke is an allergen, it is not the 'cause' of asthma. Vehicle pollution is also commonly blamed for the dramatic increase in asthma. However, since the 1970's, the Environmental Protection Agency has increased restrictions for passenger vehicle, freight vehicle, trains, busses and even off-road vehicles. Catalytic converters, on-board computers and oxygen sensors have been developed, implemented and improved which is dramatically reduced vehicle emissions. A 1997 study, "Residential exposure to plasticizers and its possible role in the pathogenesis of asthma.", revealed that some phthalate esters, for example, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is hydrolyzed to mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) which mimics thromboxanes and prostaglandins in lung tissue when the phthalate particles are inhaled. This causes hypersensitivity and inflammation of lung tissue associated with asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Numerous studies since then have shown that DEHP and other phthalates show a strong correlation to development of asthma, especially in children. For example, the 2004 study, "The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case-Control Study" demonstrates that the higher the concentration of phthalate esters in house dust, the higher incidence of childhood asthma, eczema and allergies. The 2008 study, "The role of exposure to phthalates from polyvinyl chloride products in the development of asthma and allergies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.", summarizes that, "Epidemiologic studies show associations between phthalate exposure in the home and asthma and allergies." Applied Environmental Toxicology provides a well-researched history of phthalates. They explain that world product of phthalate esters begin in the 1920's, increased dramatically in the 1950's and has continued to increase since that time. Currently, over 1.5 million metric tons of DEHP are produced throughout the world. The increase in production is consistent with the increase in asthma that is likely caused by exposure to DEHP. In the study published in 2011, "Ginger suppresses phthalate ester-induced airway remodeling.", by the Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, human lung tissue was exposed to a variety of phthalate esters to induce asthma in the tissue. The asthmatic human lung tissue was then exposed to ginger. The result was a reversal of the inflammation and hypersensitivity in human lung tissue caused by exposure to phthalate esters. The study summarized that "…ginger is capable of preventing phthalate ester-associated asthma." The CDC and other organizations, who repeatedly state that the cause of asthma is not known, ought to try looking at how scientists cause asthma in the lab. They aren't using tobacco, animal dander, pollen or pollution. They are using phthalate esters to induce the inflammation and hypersensitivity in human lung tissue that is associated with asthma. Phthalate esters are a chemical component in plastics, vinyl (such as clothing, rain coats and shower curtains) cleaning products, body care products, and numerous household goods. While the old 'causes' of asthma have either remained steady or, as in the case of smoking and vehicle emissions, reduced, production of phthalate esters has increased almost in direct correlation with the increase in asthma. It seems logical that with increased production of phthalate ester and the fact that phthalate esters are used in the lab, in human lung tissue, to cause inflammation and hypersensitivity, that phthalate esters are a main contributing factor to the increased prevalence of asthma. If phthalate esters are used to cause asthma in the lab, do you think, just maybe, phthalate esters are the cause of asthma outside the lab? RESOURCES: Vital Signs: Asthma in the US: Growing Every Year Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Centers for Disease Control: Trends in Current Cigarette Smoking Among High School Students and Adults, United States, 1965-2009 Environmental Protection Agency: Milstones: Mobile Source Emissions - Past, Present, and Future The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case-Control Study The role of exposure to phthalates from polyvinyl chloride products in the development of asthma and allergies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Environmental Toxicology Ginger suppresses phthalate ester-induced airway remodeling. |
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