|
|
|
JACI Highlights - May 2006
Salam et al – Endogenous and exogenous sex steroid hormones and asthma and wheeze in young women
Emerging evidence suggests that both endogenous and exogenous sex steroid hormones may influence the occurrence of asthma and wheeze among women. Studies have shown that young women after puberty are at higher risk of asthma than young men and that asthma incidence decreases after menopause. It is possible that estrogens and progestins play a role in asthma incidence after puberty. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle are associated with worsening of asthma symptoms. Beyond the potential role of endogenous sex hormones, existing evidence also suggests that oral contraceptives (exogenous sex hormones) can affect asthma in women. In the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Salam and colleagues investigate the associations between age at menarche and the development of asthma after puberty as well as the associations between exogenous sex hormones (in the form of oral contraceptives) and wheezing in young women with and without asthma history. The findings support a role for endogenous and exogenous sex hormones in asthma occurrence. Early menarche may increase asthma risk after puberty. They also found that oral contraceptives have been shown to blunt the immune response that deals with asthma symptoms. Salam et al found that the airways of women with a history of asthma appear to respond differently to exogenous sex hormones than the airways of women with no history of asthma. Although oral contraceptive use is associated with increased risk of current wheeze in women without a history of asthma, women taking oral contraceptives with a history of asthma usually have reduced wheezing symptoms. Because oral contraceptive use is common among young women, clinicians may inform women with asthma about the potential effects of oral contraceptives on asthma-related respiratory symptoms.
<back> |
