Severe Asthma Unlike Mild Asthma

Roughly 10% of people with asthma don't respond well to treatment. A recent study from the SARP (Severe Asthma Research Program) showed several things different in people with severe asthma. They are more likely to have air trapping, which seems to be having more anatomical dead space in the lung, thus decreasing efficiency of breathing, and increased likelihood of complete blockage of the airways.

The researchers, based on these results, think that people with severe asthma may actually have a different form of the disease, rather than just a more severe form of the same disease, which would explain why the treatments for traditional asthma don't work well on them.

Honestly, this article interests me most because asthma runs in my family and I have it so I like hearing that research is being done about asthma. Also, the discovery that there might actually be another type of asthma instead of severe asthma will probably lead to improved treatments for people with this new type of asthma if it so.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/31/AR2008013101947.html

John Li
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