Summary
Every day in the United States, thousands of people miss school or work due to asthma. Since the 1980s, the number of asthma cases has been increasing worldwide. Though there is no cure for asthma, treatment and avoidance of asthma triggers can keep the disease under control for most people. If a parent has asthma, there is a one-in-three chance his or her child will develop asthma. But inheriting asthma is not as simple as a single “asthma gene.” An entire set of genes is involved, combined with the exposure to certain substances in the environment. Asthma researchers are making exciting and complex discoveries about the genetic and environmental causes of asthma, which may eventually lead to asthma prevention. Advances in genetic engineering techniques provide new tools for developing treatments that can be customized for a variety of forms of asthma. Asthma, Second Edition describes the complex relationships among genes, the environment, and asthma, and how scientists are using this information to improve the lives of people dealing with asthma.
About the Author(s)
Terry L. Smith, M.S., is a statistician and scientific writer who lives in Lawrence, Kansas. She formerly served on the faculty of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she participated in the design, analysis, and publication of cancer clinical trials. She is the author of numerous medical publications, including Frequently Asked Questions about Celiac Disease.
Alan I. Hecht, DC, is a practicing chiropractor in New York. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Farmingdale State College, the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University where he is the Course Coordinator for Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Adjunct Professor of Allied Health Sciences at Nassau Community College. He teaches courses in medical microbiology, anatomy and physiology, comparative anatomy, human physiology, human nutrition, and embryology. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology at Hofstra University where he teaches medical microbiology in the Hofstra Northwell Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies Program and is the Course Coordinator for Graduate Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Physics at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
His current research interest is natural antibacterial substances effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans. Dr. Hecht received his BS in Biology–Pre-Medical studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. He received his MS in Basic Medical Sciences from New York University School of Medicine. He also received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College in Brookville, New York. Dr. Hecht was the recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching from the State University of New York.