Bookmark and Share

News Releases by Subject and Date

Research
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Your Health
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Medical and Dental Education
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Miscellany
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
All Subjects
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

News Release

September 29, 2009

Contact: Chris DeFrancesco, 860-679-3914
e-mail: cdefrancesco@uchc.edu

A New Study Aimed at Helping Asthma Sufferers Breathe Easier

Researchers Looking for Participants with Hard-to-Control

FARMINGTON, CONN. – Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Center are conducting the first study of a potential new drug to be used for patients with hard-to-control asthma. Asthma, a chronic lung disease and significant public health burden, affects more than 22 million Americans. It causes the airways - the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs - to become sore and swollen. Asthma exacerbations result in about 10 million missed work days and almost 13 million missed school days each year in the United States.

Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms. With today's knowledge and treatments, most people who have asthma are able to manage the disease. But there are some patients who have poorly controlled asthma despite being on at least one controller such as inhaled steroids. That means they still have asthma symptoms several times a week and often need to use their short acting inhaler.

Dr. Mark Metersky, pulmonologist at the Health Center, is conducting the first research study involving a potential new asthma drug specifically targeting patients with hard-to-control asthma. If you are 18 to 75 years of age, a non smoker and need to use your short-acting “rescue” inhaler at least 3 times a week, despite taking at least one other medication for your asthma (such as inhaled steroids), you may be eligible to participate in the study.

All participants in the four-month long study will be asked to take periodic breathing tests and to keep track of their symptoms and inhaler use. Participants will be reimbursed for their time. More information about the study is available by calling study coordinator Ruth Howard at 860-679-4903.

UConn Health includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Home to Bioscience Connecticut, UConn Health pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about UConn Health is available at www.uchc.edu.

Note: News professionals are invited to visit the UConn Health Today news page (http://today.uchc.edu) for regularly updated news and feature stories, photos and media stories. News releases are archived at http://today.uchc.edu/newsreleases/2014. UConn Health news and information is also available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.