UCSF Faculty on Expert Panel Releasing Updated National Asthma Guidelines

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) has just issued the first comprehensive update in a decade of clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. The guidelines emphasize the importance of asthma control and introduce new approaches for monitoring asthma. Updated recommendations for managing asthma include an expanded section on childhood asthma (with an additional age group), new guidance on medications, new recommendations on patient education in settings beyond the physician's office, and new advice for controlling environmental factors that can cause asthma symptoms. Coordinated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NAEPP convenes an expert panel when there is sufficient science to warrant a rigorous, systematic review of the published medical literature to ensure that the asthma guidelines reflect the latest scientific advances. UCSF's Homer A. Boushey, MD, professor of medicine, and Susan Janson, RN, ANP, DNS, FAAN, professor in Community Health Systems, were members of the expert panel that wrote the most recent guidelines. Asthma is a chronic, treatable disease that causes narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult at times. More than 22 million people in the United States have asthma, including 6.5 million children under age 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Without appropriate treatment, asthma can significantly limit individuals' activities and result in asthma exacerbations, which can lead to hospitalization and even death. The CDC estimates that 4,000 Americans die from asthma exacerbations each year. Related Links: National Asthma Guidelines Updated NIH news release, August 29, 2007 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3) NHLBI National Asthma Education and Prevention Program NHLBI Asthma public education materials NHLBI New Asthma Rules Focus on Monitoring Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2007
Note: The Journal requires a subscription. The full text of the article, however, may be available via Google News. New Asthma Guidelines Urge Daily Control Washington Post (AP), August 29, 2007 Study Challenges Current Treatment for Mild Asthma UCSF Today, April 15, 2005