THE STEROID LINK:

By far and away, one of the most common treatments of childhood asthma is the use of corticosteroids. Not only are these steroids used for acute flareups of asthma, they are given long term to children who have persistent problems with asthma, as well as various other allergic conditions including:

Acute bronchitis

Acute rheumatic fever

Chronic sinusitis

Colitis

Cradle cap

Crohn’s disease

Dermatitis

Excema

Ear infections

Food allergies

Hay fever

Heat rash

Hives

Rheumatiod arthritis

Ulcerative colitis

These drugs are given both orally and by inhalation. It has been estimated that in the United States alone some 10 million new prescriptions are written for steroids, despite their devastating potential side effects. Make no mistake about it, there is nothing safe or less troublesome to the body of inhaled steroids compared to those given orally. Inhaled steroids are associated with all of the damaging side effects of oral steroids, including:

Coughing and husky voice, Dry mouth and thirst, Bad taste, Candida infection in the mouth or throat, Muscle wasting / weakness, Headache, light-headedness, stomach upset and tiredness, Nervousness or restlessness, Seizures, Mood swings, Growth suppression, Bones become less dense, Adrenal suppression, Allergy, Acne, Skin bruising, Indigestion and, as we will see below, specific damage to the fundamental part of the brain in charge of memory, the hippocampus.

German researchers recently explored the effect of inhalative corticosteroids (the kind used in treating asthma) on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is perhaps the brain’s most important “trophic factors.” That is, BDNF is a protein which has a fundamental role in the growth of neurons, the formation of dendrites, synaptic formation as well as synaptic pruning, in addition to the overall health of the brain’s supportive cells, the glial. One of the areas most reliant upon BDNF for health and function is the hippocampus. What these researchers demonstrated was that in patients who were asthmatic, those who were using inhaled corticosteroids showed significantly lower levels of BDNF compared to asthmatic patients not treated with these drugs. These results were confirmed in January 2005 by other German researchers who measured BDNF levels in platelets in patients receiving corticosteroids. The direct damaging effect upon the hippocampus by

corticosteroids has been demonstrated in laboratory animals. Studies on pigs have shown that even after one dosage of corticosteroids, not only are the genes required for making BDNF turned off, but actual measurements of BDNF in the hippocampus (the memory center) of their brains was dramatically reduced. Finally, this all comes together in research published in March 2004 from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Their study, entitled Hippocampal Volume, Spectroscopy, Cognition, and Mood in Patients Receiving Corticosteroid Therapy Entrez PubMed showed that patients chronically receiving corticosteroids, the type used in the treatment of asthma, had smaller hippocampal volumes. That is, the area of the brain playing a pivotal role in memory and learning, was smaller in those receiving corticosteroids. Their study further demonstrated that energy utilization from the hippocampus was lower in these patients and, as you might expect, because of the damage to the hippocampus, their scores on various learning tests were markedly reduced with higher scoring on tests for depression.

Simply stated, the mainstay treatment for asthma, now affecting 1:10 of our children, is the use of corticosteroids, which, as described above, reduces the genetic transcription of BDNF. This leads to shrinkage and dysfunction of the hippocampus with resultant decline in memory function and increasing risk of depression. Simply stated, the overwhelming use of corticosteroids to treat childhood asthma is a sure fire way to turn off the “smart genes.”

REDUCING RISK:

As mentioned, reducing phthalate exposure in your home can go a long way to reducing your child’s risk for developing asthma. Other factors to consider include:

1.

Absolutely no exposure to secondhand smoke whatsoever.

2.

Breastfeed your child as long as you can.

3.

Reduce dust in your child’s room by vacuuming frequently using a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air filter), steam clean rugs and upholstery frequently. Make sure to wash your child’s sheets in hot water weekly, as this is known to kill dust mites, as does drying bedding in a hot dryer.

BREASTFEEDING:

In addition, breastfeeding reduces the risk for ear infections. There is a clear relationship between frequency of ear infections and risk for asthma. Obviously, the relationship between corticosteroid exposure and developmental brain abnormalities goes well beyond the treatment of asthma. Corticosteroids are used for a variety of common conditions in pediatrics characterized by chronic inflammation including skin disorders. In addition, another important consideration with respect to asthma’s role in brain development and function has to do with the effect of asthma on blood oxygenation. Because of the breathing difficulties associated with asthma, the amount of oxygen saturation of the blood is frequently reduced when this disease is active. The effect upon development, behavior, and academic achievement of even mild levels of oxygen depletion associated with asthma has recently been described in an article appearing in Pediatrics 2004 September: 114(3:805-16). In this report, Harvard researchers found clear correlation between abnormalities of brain function, at all levels of compromise of blood oxygenation. As they stated, “Adverse impacts of chronic or intermittent hypoxia on development, behavior, and academic achievement have been reported in many well-designed and controlled studies in children…” They further noted that adverse effects were found at even mild levels of oxygen desaturation.

Corticosteriods

Nutrients Depleted: Calcium, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, ZincU.S. Brand Names:Acticort 100; Adlone Injection; AeroBid-M Oral Aerosol Inhaler; AeroBid Oral Aerosol Inhaler; Aeroseb-Dex; Aeroseb-HC A-hydroCort; AK-Dex; AK-Pred Ophthalmic; Ala-Cort; Ala-Scalp; Alba-Dex; Alphatrex; Amcort; A-methaPred Injection; Anucort-HC Suppository; Anuprep HC Suppository; Anusol HC-1 [OTC]; Anusol HC-2.5% [OTC]; Anusol-HC Suppository; Aristocort; Aristocort A; Aristocort Forte; Aristocort Intralesional; Aristospan Intra-Articular; Aristospan Intralesional; Articulose-50 Injection; Atolone; Azmacort; Baldex; Betratrex; Beta-Val; CaldeCORT; CaldeCORT Anti-Itch Spray; Celestone; Celestone Soluspan; Cel-U-Jec, Cetacort; Clocort Maximum Strength; CotraGel [OTC]; Cortaid Maximum Strength [OTC]; Cortaid with Aloe [OTC]; Cort-Dome; Cortef; Cortef Feminine Itch; Cortenema; Cortifoam; Cortizone-5 [OTC]; Cortizone-10 [OTC]; Cortone Acetate; Cultivate; Dalalone L.A.; Decaderm; Decadron; Decadron LA; Decadron Turbinaire; Decaject-LA; Decaspray; Dekasol-LA; Delcort; Delta-Cortef Oral; Deltasone; Delta-Tritex; depMedalone Injection; Depoject Injection; Depo-Medrol Injection; Depropred Injection; Dermacort; Dermarest Dricort; DermiCort; Dermolate [OTC]; Dermtex HC with Aloe; Dexair; Dexasone LA; Dexone; Dexone LA; Dezone; Diprolene; Diprolene AF; Diprosone; D-Med Injection; Duralone Injection; Econopred Ophthalmic; Econopred Plus Ophthalmic; Eldecort; Elocon Topical; Flonase; Flovent; Flutex, Gynecort [OTC]; Hemril-HC Uniserts; Hexadrol; Hi-Cor-1.0; Hi-Cor-2.5; Hydrocort; Hydrocortone Acetate; Hycort; Hydrocortone Phosphate; HydroSKIN; HydroTex [OTC]; Hytone; I-Methasone; Inflamase; Forte Ophthalmic Inflamase Mild Ophthalmic; Kenacort; Kenaject-40; Kenalog; Kenalog-10; Kenalog-40; Kenalog H; Kenalog in Orabase; Kenonel; Key-Pred Injection; Key-Pred-SP Injection; LactiCare-HC; Lanacort[OTC]; Liquid Pred; Locoid; Maxidex; Maxivate; Medralone Injection; Medrol Oral; Methylone; Metricorten; Metreton Ophthmalic; M-Prednisol Injection; Nasacort; Nasacort AQ; Nasalide Nasal Aerosol; Nasarel; Nutracort; Ocu-Dex; Orabase HCA; Orasone; Pandel; Peddiapred Oral; Penecort; Predair; Predaject; Predalone TBA; Predcor; Predcor-TBA; Pred Forte Ophthmalic; Pred Mild Ophthmalic; Prednicen-M; Prednisol TBA Injection; Prelone Oral; Procort [OTC]; Proctocort; Psorion Cream; Pulmicort Turbuhaler; Rhinocort; Scalpicin; Solu-Cortef; Solu-Medrol Injection; Solurex LA; S-T Cort; Sterapred; Synacort; Tac-3; Tac-40; Tegrin-HC [OTC]; Teladar; Triacet; Triam-A; Triam Forte; Triderm; Tri-Kort; Trilog; Trilone; Tristoject; U-Cort; Valisone; Westcort

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2007 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Brain Health, Ailments, Asthma, Brain Development, Children & Pregnancy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.