New insights into treatment of children with exercise-induced asthma symptoms.

Background: Exercise is one of the most common triggers of bronchoconstriction and affects up to 80% of children with asthma.

Objective: The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to assess the effectiveness of treatment with ciclesonide 160 microgram, either alone, with a higher dose, with a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA), or with a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) in children with asthma with postexercise-induced symptoms.

Methods: Eighty adolescents, ages 1218 years, with asthma and postexercise symptoms were enrolled.

The prevalence of mouse allergen in inner-city homes.

Mouse allergen has not been studied in detail in the general population. It is common for patients from inner-city environments to report significant mouse infestation in their homes and neighborhoods. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mouse allergen in the homes of inner-city children with asthma in relation to the demographic features of these children and their specific housing characteristics.