Wheezy toddlers likelier to develop asthma

A University of Melbourne led study has revealed that wheezy toddlers who have a sensitivity to house dust mites are more at risk of developing asthma by the age of 12. 

Children aged one - two years with a family history of allergy, who had a positive skin prick test to house dust mites, had a higher risk of developing asthma later in life.

Results showed 75 per cent of these children had asthma at aged 12 compared to 36 per cent of children without a positive skin prick test.

Lead author Dr Caroline Lodge from the University of Melbourne's School of Population Health said the identification of house dust mites as a predictor for asthma in high risk children, is a significant step forward in identifying high risk groups on whom we can trial interventions.

"Our findings provide researchers with a more targeted group of at risk children, for investigating strategies to prevent asthma later in life," she said.

"House dust mite sensitivity amongst wheezy toddlers could be used as a clinical tool to assist parents in understanding the risk of asthma in their children.

"Although currently there is no known intervention to stop asthma developing, identifying children at higher risk may lead to more tailored treatments of wheeze in this high risk group," Dr Lodge added. ANI

Anxiety can weaken bones

Beware- anxiety now comes with a new risk: it weakens your bones! 

Researchers from Deakin in Australia and Norwegian universities analysed data of over 8,000 men and women from central Norway and found a link between depressive symptoms and reduction in bone mineral density.

Participants underwent forearm bone mineral density scans, reports the Journal of Affective Disorders. 

Deakin researcher Lana Williams said, "It was found that depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in men were associated with lower bone mineral density."

"There are several known risk factors for low bone mineral density, such as advance age, gender (women are at greater risk than men), familial predisposition, low levels of sex hormones, inadequate calcium intake and vitamin D deficiency," Williams said.

"It is possible that poor mental health could be another one of these risk factors."

Recently, the possible association between psychiatric illness - particularly depression - and osteoporosis has been the subject of a growing body of research.IANS