Inhaler Increase the Risk of Asthma Attacks

Asthma reliever drug (inhaler) commonly used by millions of children around the world can increase the risk of asthma attacks in some patients with certain genetic makeup, according to British scientists.

The researchers found that salbutamol, which is popular as the blue inhaler drug also known as Ventolin, as well as salmeterol, an ingredient in GlaxoSmithKline’s Advair, is less effective in children with specific gene variants and may in some cases make asthma worse.

The scientists say their research show indicate that conduct genetic test on children before treatment can be more effective in caring for their efforts.

Asthma affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is the most common chronic disease of children. Halting symptoms include breathing, shortness of breath, cough and breathing difficulty.

Research in the UK, which looked at patients between the ages of 3 to 22 years, showed that asthma patients who use their inhaler everyday carrying a variant gene called Arg16 has a 30 percent greater risk of asthma attacks compared with who have a form of gene more common.

Those with two copies of the gene showed 70 percent increase in asthma attacks, but the scientists noted that the children received daily doses are those who experience more severe asthma.