TUCSON, May 24 (UPI) -- U.S. children whose lungs are very sensitive to cold dry air when they are 6 years old are two times more likely to develop asthma by the time they are age 22.
Researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson assessed 450 children at an average age of 6 to see whether breathing in cold, dry air affected their lung function.
The researchers then followed up with the subjects at age 22. They found that children whose lungs were very sensitive to cold air, a reaction known as bronchial hyperresponsiveness, were more likely to have developed asthma at age 22 than children whose lungs didn't react to the cold air, even if the children with BHR didn't have any symptoms of asthma, such as wheezing, when they were 6.
"This suggests that there is something going on in these children's lungs at an early age that increases their risk of having asthma later in life," says Dr. Fernando Martinez. "We need to find out what biological characteristics these children have, so that we can start developing preventive treatments."
The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego.
