Sleep Apnea Linked to Teen Obesity

Obese adolescents have an increased risk of sleep apnea or abnormal breathing during sleep, according to a study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting in Boston, Nov. 3-8.

In one of the first studies to take a closer look at the relationship between teen obesity and sleep-disordered breathing, researchers compared overnight sleep studies of 27 obese teens with and without asthma to overnight sleep studies of 23 average weight adolescents with and without asthma. The study showed nearly 73 percent of obese children were diagnosed with sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) while none of the adolescents at a healthy weight were diagnosed with SAHS.

“Research shows obesity puts kids at risk for heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure,” says allergist John Oppenheimer, MD, ACAAI Abstract Committee chair. “This study identifies the addtional potential for increased sleep apnea, and the need for a larger scale study.”

Title: Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Obese and Eutrophic Adolescents, Asthmatics and not Asthmatics

By the numbers:
Seven million children in the U.S. suffer from asthma. Children who are overweight are nearly 2-1/2 times more likely to have asthma than those who are not overweight.

Single Dose Flu Shot May Be Safe for Children with Severe Egg Allergy

The trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV) - that protects against three types of influenza–may be safe for children with egg allergy, according to a study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting in Boston, Nov. 3-8.

A two-year, multi-center study is seeking to evaluate the vaccine’s safety in a population of only severely egg allergic children. Interim results from the first 61 patients indicate TIV is safe to administer to egg allergic individuals irrespective of the severity of their egg allergy. These findings are consistent with the experience of 7 other TIV/H1N1 studies of egg allergic children spanning 12 years, in which a total of 185 children with severe egg allergy had also safely received influenza vaccine.

Historically, as a safety precaution, dividing the dose into a 10 percent fraction and observing for symptom development before providing the remaining 90 percent was commonplace. In the current study, all patients safely received their vaccine irrespective of the dosing method. Thus the interim data indicate a single dose is well tolerated.

“The benefits of flu shots are well-established, and clearly outweigh the risks for children with egg allergy,” said allergist Matthew Greenhawt, MD, ACAAI member and assistant professor in the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Michigan. “Children with food allergies are more likely to have asthma, which can increase their chance of respiratory complications from the flu. Expanding the population of children that receive flu shots will play an important role in decreasing influenza associated hospitalization, and in promoting the overall health of our children.”