Pet Owners With Pet-Allergic Asthma: Drugs Do Not Substitute for Pet Removal

Pet owners with pet-allergic asthma who removed their pets from their homes experienced improved airway responsiveness, required lower doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), and went in for fewer physician follow-up visits than pet owners who kept their pets.

Researchers from Japan studied 20 patients with newly diagnosed pet-allergic asthma who had domestic pets, including hamsters, cats, dogs, and ferrets. While the clinician recommended that all patients give away their pets to reduce exposure, 10 patients gave away their pets, while 10 patients kept them.

All patients underwent spirometry, blood tests, and skin-prick tests and were instructed to record their peak expiratory flow (PEF) values with a flowmeter twice daily at home.

Results show that removal of pets from homes, combined with the proper drugs, significantly reduced airway responsiveness to methacholine in patients with pet-allergic asthma more than drugs alone.

The study appears in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

News briefs from the journal Chest, MAY 2005

Contact: Arielle Green
agreen@chestnet.org
847-498-8387
American College of Chest Physicians
http://www.chestnet.org