Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 6, 2008 11:29:38 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Docs Link Ulcer Drop, Asthma Boom

Posted Jul 15, 08 4:55 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – A lack of ulcers may be driving the increased incidence of childhood asthma, Reuters reports. In a study of children infected with the H. pylori bacteria, which causes ulcers, those who had the infection were 59% less likely to have asthma than those who didn't. H. pylori infection has been waning for decades, and the connection may explain spiking childhood asthma rates over the same period.

"The disappearance of Helicobacter...is consistent with the decline of both ulcer disease and stomach cancer," said an NYU researcher, but "it is also consistent with the rise of asthma." The scientists wrote, "One explanation has been termed the 'hygiene hypothesis’: that humans are more prone to allergic disorders because of a lifestyle that may be too 'clean.'"

Source Reuters

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Keyboards 'Dirtier Than Toilet Seats'

    May 1, 08 7:01 AM CDT
    Keyboards 'Dirtier Than Toilet Seats' A microbiologist studying computer keyboards discovered that some of them harbored more bacteria than the average toilet seat, the Guardian reports. The dirtiest—which had to be removed from an office—had 150 times the level of acceptable bacteria, putting the user at risk of catching bugs that cause diarrhea and vomiting. "It was off the scale," the researcher said. More »

  • Hospital-Bred Bacteria Kills Brits

    Nov 18, 07 4:34 PM CST
    Hospital-Bred Bacteria Kills Brits An untreatable strand of hospital-bred bacteria is killing hundreds of patients each year in the UK, the Observer reports. Pseudomona cases have risen 41% over the past five years, reaching 3,663 in 2006. Like MRSA, the bug is resistant to traditional cleaning agents and antibiotics, and contaminates patients through hospital water present in IVs, breathing devices, and catheters. More »

Helicobacter Pylori (the small, curved lines in the middle) can be seen in this stained microscope slide.   (Wikimedia Commons)
Helicobacter Pylori, which causes ulcers, can be seen in this stained microscope slide.   (Wikimedia Commons)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Maternal Consumption of Nuts Also Boosts Asthma Risk

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

disease  • bacteria  • asthma  • hygiene  • childhood


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »