WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A new study has taken the wind out of previous research on asthma and its relationship to chronic illnesses, showing that asthmatics have higher risks for serious diseases such as cancer and stroke.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia found that asthmatics were twice as likely to contend with heart disease, stroke and cancer, particularly in older patients.
Although research on major diseases and asthmatics is limited, a study in 2001 concluded diabetes and cardiovascular disease were not as common in people with asthma. Asthma has been associated with higher hospitalization rates.
The researchers, led by Robert Adams of the university, used data from a large population survey of 7,619 adults in Australia.
The study appeared in the February issue of CHEST.
Asthmatics were stricken most with arthritis, but stroke, heart disease and osteoporosis accounted for the biggest factors in eroding day-to-day quality of life.
The study was not designed to explore why the connections exist, but researchers speculated in the study that smoking could have been a factor. Smoking has been shown to cause cardiac problems and diabetes. The study also said misdiagnosis may also play a part, since breathlessness is a symptom for both asthma and heart disease.
It's also possible asthmatics exercise less, tend to put on weight and develop diabetes, said Michael Alberts, president of the American College of Chest Physicians, the organization that publishes CHEST.
Overall, the study was solid in the sense that it looked at a general population and not a specific clinical group
, he said.
"It's interesting because the conventional wisdom is that asthma is a disease in and of itself, and it's rarely accompanied by other diseases," Alberts said.
"This also points out the fact that asthmatics are getting older. This is not just a disease of young people and adults."
But Alberts also emphasized this study doesn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship between chronic illnesses and asthma. He added the next stage of research should begin to look at whether there is an association.
-- People who have heart disease, asthmatic or not
, may not even realize it, Dutch scientists have discovered. As many as 40 percent of heart attacks may not be recognized by victims. A study of more than 4,000 people revealed that women are particularly unlikely to spot an attack because they often do not experience shoulder or chest pain, common signs of an impending attack. The results appeared in the European Heart Journal.
-- English women may soon be able to donate their eggs to the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority, a U.K.-based organization that regulates fertility clinics. The group will debate Wednesday whether the eggs could be used in the creation of embryos, from which stem cells can be created.
-- Recent findings from the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative added fuel to the hormone replacement therapy controversy. The study suggests women in their 50s are not at increased risk for heart disease. Of the 3,310 women studied over seven years
, women taking estrogen were 34 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. The study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
-- And in news fitting for Valentine's Day, a study has shown marriage can improve the physical and mental wellbeing of homosexuals. Previous research has already shown married heterosexuals are often healthier and happier. English researchers reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health that intolerance or discrimination may lead to the increased rates of harmful distress among gays. The authors concluded government policies that allow same-sex marriages may have unforeseen health benefits.
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