First responders and other rescue and recovery workers following the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks received significant dust and pollutant exposures and have developed asthma at twice the rate of the US general population according to new research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

According to a press release, as many as 8% of workers and volunteers participating in the rescue, recovery, and cleanup have developed some sort of asthma episode compared to 4% of the general population. Additionally, only 3% of this workers and volunteers reported asthma pre 9/11, while 16% reported having asthma between 2005 and 2007.

"Although previous WTC studies have shown significant respiratory problems, this is the first study to directly quantify the magnitude of asthma among WTC responders compared with the general US population," said Hyun Kim, ScD, Instructor of Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM), in the press release. "Six years out from 9/11, the World Trade Center Program was still observing responders affected by asthma episodes and attacks at more than double the percentage of people not exposed to World Trade Center dust."

Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians commented "Asthma and other chronic lung conditions remain a significant burden for rescue and recovery workers responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center. The significant chronic health problems associated with the World Trade Center attacks only reinforces the need for stronger disaster preparedness plans, as well as long-term medical follow-up for 9/11 responders and individuals who respond to disaster-related events."

What do you think?

With all of the debate over the weekend regarding health-care, I thought it would be interesting to see what ya'll think about payment for asthma medications.

In a previous blog I discussed results from a trial of bronchial thermoplasty, a non-drug treatment where thermal energy is delivered to airways to reduce smooth muscle that narrows airways causing asthma symptoms.

Last week, the Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that the Alair^® System, a device utilized in bronchial thermoplasty for the treatment of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older, was approveable with certain conditions according to a company website.

Clinical trials have demonstrated:

• Significant improvement in quality of life
• 32 percent reduction in severe asthma attacks
• 84 percent reduction in emergency room visits for respiratory symptoms
• 66 percent reduction in days lost from work/school or other activities

"The Advisory Panel's recommendation for approvable with conditions of the Alair^® System marks a major step in bringing this new and important treatment option to patients with severe asthma," said Glen French, CEO of Asthmatx in the press release. "We look forward to working with FDA through the next steps to product approval."

According to the Walmart  Pharmacy Website for their $4 prescription plan, Walmart has a HFA albuterol inhaler for sale for $9. This would be a significant cost reduction compared to currently available rescue inhalers since the CFC to HFA transition.

Have you tried to access this reduced cost inhaler?