Stepping up asthma oversight

By adamg on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 8:11am

The City Council today considers a proposal by Council President Steve Murphy to set up a special committee on asthma, "which shall concern itself with the causes, treatments and rates of asthma in the city, particularly environmental issues exacerbating asthma symptoms, methods of treating asthma, and work being done to reduce asthma rates."

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Comments

Has anyone studied the overuse of salt on roads?

By bostonzest on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 9:20am.

I have looked for studies on this in the past and come up empty. But, I feel like it is a trigger for me.

They really should use Mrs. Dash

By eeka on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 9:35am.

It's healthier than salt.

Someone needs to do in depth

By Haviland on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 2:04pm.

Someone needs to do in depth research to determine the rate of real cases of asthma versus chronic cases cooked up by quack doctors so that people can collect SSI. I've never seen consistent data on the rates of asthma in urban areas and I wonder if environmental conditions are really to blame or there are other causes. Be it lifestyle differences, climate, genetics, or my sneaking suspicion widespread instances of disability fraud.

Plenty of Evidence

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 11:01pm.

You just have to know where to look and what you are looking at. Boston is one of the most extensively studied cities - I suggest you start with the Home Allergens and Asthma Project at the Channing Lab and move on from there.

Difficult to call it disability fraud when there has been a huge push in the last two decades to clearly define asthma diagnostic criteria based on everything from spirometry responses, response to methacholine challenge test, peak flow metering, and even bronchoscopy in severe cases. Not exactly the vague thing you seem to assume that it is. You can't fake a methacholine challenge test or bronchoscopy, and it isn't simple to fake a spirometric pattern, either.

I've never seen consistent

By Jeff F on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 1:50am.

I've never seen consistent data on the rates of asthma in urban areas

Then you've never looked. Asthma rates are tracked with great interest and attention in pretty much every major urban area in the US (and much of the rest of the world) - and in Boston with particular precision and focus. Researchers have very robust incidence distribution data. Seeing as the disorder causes billions every year in medical costs and lost economic productivity, there is a huge incentive (on both government and business) to find causes and effective treatments/prophylaxis.