Respiratory Research Bulletin

The research into respiratory health that takes place in New Zealand and overseas plays a vital role in helping us to understand, diagnose and treat respiratory conditions. Read on for cutting-edge research from Aotearoa and beyond.

Climate Change increases risk of thunderstorm asthma

New research has found that the risk of asthma triggered by thunderstorms in New Zealand will increase as the climate warms. The researchers shared these findings in the New Zealand Medical Journal, and warned that while this asthma is currently rare, the increase in summer storms caused by climate change, combined with our high levels of pollen could lead to much of the country being at risk of future events.

Thunderstorm asthma is caused by the effects of storms on airborne allergens like pollen and fungal spores. The storm breaks the allergens into fine particles that can be inhaled and then trigger asthma symptoms. Inland areas with extensive plantings of pollen-producing grasses, like the Waikato, are thought to be particularly vulnerable to thunderstorm asthma. Thunderstorm asthma can affect people with no prior history of asthma, and those with pre-existing asthma.

The researchers are calling for health authorities to be prepared for this change, and for regular airborne pollen monitoring in all major New Zealand cities.

Tech helps people to take asthma as prescribed

Technology could be a gamechanger for asthma management according to a review published in June by researchers from New Zealand and the UK. The authors found that digital technologies, like text message reminders or adherence monitors attached to inhalers, improved regular medication taking by 15%. They also discovered that those using digital technology had better control of their asthma, and half the risk of asthma attacks.

Women may be at greater risk of COPD

New research has shown that women have narrower airways than men, which increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the study, researchers analysed the lungs of 10,000 people aged between 45 and 80. They found that in both smokers and non-smokers women’s lungs were narrower, while men had thicker airway walls. The researchers said this difference may make women more susceptible to developing COPD and other airway disease. They also explained that smoking causes airways to narrow further, which means women who smoke can experience more severe symptoms of COPD.

Overuse of rescue inhalers in the UK

A study of British asthma patients has found that 26% were overusing their rescue inhalers, putting them at greater risk of severe asthma attack and hospitalisation.

The research from Queen Mary University of London found that of the 700,000 people surveyed aged between five and 80 years old, more than a quarter were receiving six or more SABA (short-acting betaagonist) inhalers a year, with some receiving more than 12. Overuse of this type of inhaler can increase the airways’ sensitivities to triggers and hide the severity of underlying asthma control. It also found that a quarter of the study participants were underusing preventative corticosteroid inhalers.

Poor sleep and COPD flare ups

Poor sleep is linked to a significantly increased risk of COPD flare-ups according to a new study by the US National Institutes of Health. The risk of sudden bouts of worsening breathing was between 25% to 95% higher in people who had poor quality sleep. The lead author said that sleep was a better indicator of the risk of exacerbation than the patient’s history of smoking. Those people with the worst sleep had a 95% increased risk of having a COPD flare up within a year, while those at the lower end of the scale had a 25% risk of a flare up.