16, No. 11, November 2000 1. Psychosocial stress may predict the early onset of asthma in children Psychosocial stress may predict the early onset of asthma in children By Mary Klinnert, Ph.D. A small but growing body of evidence points to a relationship between psychosocial stress and the early onset of asthma in children with a genetic predisposition to the disease. The W.T. Grant Foundation Asthma Risk Study was designed to prospectively examine children who were considered to be genetically at-risk for developing asthma. Since the longitudinal study began in 1985, researchers have monitored both physiological and psychological factors among 150 families with the intent of identifying risk factors for illness expression. Data currently under review for publication indicate that psychosocial predictors measured early in life are associated not only with early asthma onset, but also with the persistence of asthma to age 8 in the study cohort.
Medical professionals consider asthma a familial illness.
Family studies have demonstrated a significantly increased risk for the development of asthma in individuals who have affected relatives. However, genetic vulnerability does not guarantee that an individual will develop asthma. It is now accepted that the expression of asthma involves a genetic predisposition combined with exposure to environmental factors. Researchers have extensively investigated a number of environmental factors in terms of their role in the onset of asthma. Respiratory viral infections - Clinical studies have demonstrated that the onset of asthma is often preceded by respiratory infections.