Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

DocwireNews

A variety of factors come into play when treating asthma&mdash;and environmental respiratory triggers go beyond the obvious.Many interventions exist &ldquo;to target the variety of exposures,&rdquo; according to Elizabeth Matsui, MD, MHS, professor of pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in an interview. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been a lot of controversy about whether [allergen exposures] are actually effective in terms of improving asthma symptoms and reducing asthma morbidity.&rdquo;Studies on the topic have yielded conflicting results, but one overarching theme Dr. Matsui pointed to was interventions reducing allergen exposure among pediatric patients are very effective.&ldquo;[Interventions] that are done in adults&mdash;or that don&rsquo;t have a very robust effect on the allergen exposures in the home&mdash;are much less effective,&rdquo; she explained.Environmental impacts pose two primary challenges for physicians, according to Dr. Matsui.&ldquo;The biggest [challenge] is that there is no mechanism in our health care system or in healthcare payment models that exist now to provide the resources or support to families in acquiring the resources in order to implement some of these environmental interventions,&rdquo; she said. These interventions can range from air purifiers to pillow and mattress encasements to pest control. Specialized bedding is not generally covered by insurance, and pest infestations are sometimes the result of a much larger problem (such as structural issues within the home) that warrant significant repairs.&ldquo;We have non-medical approaches to reducing asthma symptoms and morbidity in children, and yet there&rsquo;s not a good mechanism to implement them,&rdquo; Dr. Matsui said, adding that some environmental triggers affecting children have been in motion since before they were born. Looking back on history, Dr. Matsui said, structural racism has existed nationwide, and segregationally charged policies have played a large role because children in low-income, urban neighborhoods live in poor housing structures.&ldquo;Ultimately looking in a broader view at health disparities and asthma disparities, we will need policy interventions to address that very longstanding and deep-rooted problem,&rdquo; Dr. Matsui concluded.

Jordana Jampel

Systematic Review of Suicide, Self-Harm Potentiality in GLP-1 RA Trials

Metabolic Disorders

Connie Rhee, MD

Joel M. Topf, MD, FACP

CKD Management and Cognition

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings 2025

Bradley Marder, MD

Gout Studies: Transplant Waitlisting and Bone Erosion

Latest News

VIDEO: Asthma Interventions—More Than Just the Medicine

Asthma

A variety of factors come into play when treating asthma—and environmental respiratory triggers go beyond the obvious. ...

About Us

Editorial Policy

Advertising

Contact Us

eNewsletters

Contribute

Career Center

MashupMD

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

GU Oncology Now

Urban Health Today

Bile Duct Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Gastroesophageal Cancer

Gastric Cancer

GEP-NETs

GIST

Liver Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

GI Oncology Now

Anemia

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Essential Thrombocythemia

Hemophilia

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Polycythemia Vera

Pulmonary Embolism

Sickle Cell Disease

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombophilia

Thrombosis

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Venous Thromboembolism

von Willebrand Disease

Heme Today

Acute Kidney Injury

ADPKD

Anemia and Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Hypertension

End-Stage Renal Disease

Gout

Hyperkalemia

IgAN

Kidney Transplantation

Metabolic Acidosis

Nephrology Times

HER2 Breast Cancer

HR Breast Cancer

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Genetics & Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers Today

Atherosclerotic Disease

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Lipid Management

Practice Tips With Dr. Lichaa

Preventive Cardiology

Stroke

Cardiology

Breast Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

Skin Cancer

Oncology

Sleep

Urology

Diabetes

Ophthalmology

— Demodex Blepharitis

Neurology

Rheumatology

Gastroenterology

Pulmonology

Infectious Diseases

— HIV

Health and Wellness

Lupus

Future of Medicine

Orthopedics

Pharmacology

Career News

More

Conferences

CardioNerds

The Sleep Source With Dr. Morse

Rheumatology Rounds With Dr. Maheswaranathan

Partners

Expert Interviews

Subscribe