Latest news with #asthma
Independent Singapore
14 hours ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
Hougang resident calls the police after his asthma gets triggered by burning joss paper
Stomp FB screencapture SINGAPORE: A resident from Block 541 Hougang Avenue 8 felt forced to involve the police after a joss paper burning at the carpark left his family with wheezing and coughing. Speaking to Stomp under the condition of anonymity, the resident said that the joss paper burned around 9:45 a.m. on Saturday (May 31), and the burning resulted in excessive smoke. He told Stomp , 'It's a fire hazard to vehicles parking nearby. Two owners shifted their cars. If the car doesn't catch fire, the ashes still get into cars and homes on the second floor.' Sharing that his family suffers from sinusitis and asthma, the resident added, 'The smoke was so overwhelming that it entered the house. We had to close the windows. I had an asthma attack and could not breathe. I had to set up my nebuliser to stabilise myself. Two of my kids have bad sinus problems and coughed.' The resident shared that he has been living in the neighbourhood for twenty years, and residents typically burn joss papers in a designated bin that is located about 25 metres away in an open field. Asserting that he has no problem with the burning as long as it's far away from homes, the resident said he decided to call the police as he deemed the incident 'a selfish act. The cleaner has to do extra work to clean the area because of the mess caused.' He added, 'We live in a multicultural country where we should be more considerate to others.' Hougang Ave 8 is under the purview of Ang Mo Kio Town Council. A spokesman representing the town council told Stomp that they received feedback about the incident and completed cleaning works on the same day. The spokesman added that joss paper burning is allowed only at designated bins. He said that the town council has decided to display advisory notices on proper joss paper burning etiquette in lift car noticeboards, 'to prevent potential fire hazards' and 'to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.'
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Hopkins father sentenced to 4 years for manslaughter in daughter's asthma death
A Hopkins man has been sentenced to four years in prison for second-degree manslaughter in the death of his 9-year-old daughter, who lost her life one week after an asthma attack. A judge handed down the sentence to Anthony Modrow, 34, on Monday, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge in January. Charges say the girl went to a friend's house for a sleepover on Feb. 9, 2024, and had an asthma attack the next morning. The friend's parent noticed that the inhaler was not helping relieve the effects of the asthma attack, charges say. One of the parents of the girl's friend offered to take her to the doctor, but Anthony Modrow and her mother, Rachel Modrow, refused despite her asking for medical help, according to court documents. Later that same morning, a family friend went to the family's home and called 911 after noticing the girl's skin was blue, she could not raise her arms and she was crying. The girl was taken to the hospital, where she was kept in the ICU for seven days until doctors declared her brain-dead. Anthony Modrow told police the girl had asthma issues starting on Feb. 8 and started feeling better on Feb. 9. He said he knew her inhaler was empty for a month, but never refilled it, charges say. Rachel Modrow, 36, was sentenced in January to 41 months in prison for second-degree manslaughter. Note: The above video first aired on Jan. 7, 2025
Medscape
3 days ago
- Business
- Medscape
Tezepelumab Curbs Oral Corticosteroid Use in Severe Asthma
The addition of tezepelumab to standard treatment allowed half the adults with severe asthma to discontinue their use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) after 1 year, according to new data from nearly 300 individuals. Tezepelumab, a human monoclonal antibody, has been associated with reduction in the use of OCS in patients with OCS-dependent asthma, David J. Jackson, MD, professor and clinical director, Guy's Severe Asthma Centre at Guy's Hospital King's College London, London, England, and colleagues wrote in an abstract presented at American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference. Many patients with severe asthma take OCS, but previous research has shown associations between extended OCS use and increased risk for a range of side effects including osteoporosis and fractures, hypertension, and infections, and more strategies are needed to help these patients reduce OCS use, the researchers noted. 'We know prolonged oral corticosteroid use leads to adverse effects, including bone, cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal and psychiatric disorders, and adrenal insufficiency,' Jackson said in an interview. 'The WAYFINDER trial is a multicenter, open-label, single-arm trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tezepelumab compared to placebo in severe asthma patients who require maintenance use of OCS alongside their standard treatment,' he said. A previous phase 3 OCS-sparing study known as SOURCE did not meet its primary endpoint, but patients with baseline blood eosinophil counts ≥ 150 cels/μL who received tezepelumab achieved a reduction in daily maintenance OCS (mOCS) dose compared with placebo patients, the researchers wrote in their abstract. 'The WAYFINDER trial was designed to accelerate data collection and specifically address the complexities in the SOURCE trial design that may have contributed to the result of the primary endpoint,' Jackson told Medscape Medical News . The WAYFINDER trial enrolled 298 adults with severe asthma who had received OCS for at least 3 months before starting the study. All participants received 210 mg of subcutaneous tezepelumab every 4 weeks for up to 52 weeks after a 4-week induction period. The co-primary endpoints were the proportion of patients who reduced their daily mOCS to 5 mg/d or less or discontinued OCS without loss of asthma control. A total of 273 patients completed the study; the mean baseline mOCS was 10.8 mg/d, and patients were assessed at 28 weeks and 52 weeks. Overall, 88.9% and 89.9% of patients reduced their mOCS to 5 mg/d or less by week 28 and week 52, respectively, while 32.2% and 50.3% discontinued OCS at these time periods, respectively. In a post hoc analysis, 82.2% of patients whose reason for systemic corticosteroids was related to adrenal insufficiency achieved an mOCS dose of 5 mg/d or less without loss of asthma control at week 52. The study was limited by the open-label design, but the safety profile was consistent with previous studies of tezepelumab, researchers said. A 2023 meta-analysis of safety data on tezepelumab for uncontrolled asthma showed that the most common adverse events were nasopharyngitis, headache, and bronchitis, and most AEs occurred within a month of starting tezepelumab. Rates of serious adverse events were lower in patients receiving tezepelumab than those receiving placebo in a pooled analysis. The standout findings from the study are the clinically meaningful reductions in maintenance OCS use or complete discontinuation achieved with tezepelumab among a broad severe asthma patient population, Jackson told Medscape Medical News . In addition, two thirds of participants remained exacerbation-free despite OCS dose reductions, and the OCS-sparing effect of tezepelumab was observed across pre-specified patient subgroups, including those defined by baseline blood eosinophil counts (BEC), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level and allergy status, Jackson said. 'These findings reinforce tezepelumab's efficacy in severe asthma as the first and only biologic targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) with demonstrated efficacy for severe asthma patients across phenotypes and irrespective of biomarker levels including BEC, allergic status, and FeNO,' he said. Improving Short-Term Health and Long-Term Wellness 'For people living with severe asthma, achieving stable control and reducing or eliminating reliance on oral corticosteroids is a critical goal, not only for respiratory health but also for long-term well-being,' Jackson told Medscape Medical News . 'By showing the benefit of targeting TSLP at the top of the inflammatory cascade and controlling asthma effectively with tezepelumab, we may be able to reduce these risks from OCS and significantly improve control for patients living with severe asthma,' Jackson said. 'We look forward to sharing a manuscript in the future for the phase 3b WAYFINDER study,' he added. Support for Steroid-Sparing The current study highlights an important population: Patients with asthma who are dependent on OCS, said Sucharita Kher, MD, pulmonologist and vice chair of clinical operations and quality for the Department of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, in an interview. The endpoint tapering OCS without loss of asthma control is clinically meaningful because of the known side effects of OCS, said Kher, who was not involved in the study. The results were not unexpected, but more details on whether patients with eosinophils below 150 cells/µL also benefitted from tezepelumab would be helpful, Kher noted. The data are exciting because they suggest another option for patients with OCS dependent asthma, said Kher. 'The data also guide clinicians to adopt a strategy to wean patients off OCS when on tezepelumab with the goal of reducing OCS exposure and hence, side effects of prolonged OCS use,' she said. 'We know that OCS have side effects and negative consequences on factors including bone health, blood pressure, and blood sugar control and infection risk,' she added. Potential barriers to expanding the use of tezepelumab for reducing OCS in asthma patients exist at the patient and healthcare systems levels, Kher told Medscape Medical News . Patient-level barriers include cost sharing, worry/hesitancy about injections, lack of specialty access, and patient health literacy, she said. In addition, healthcare system barriers include a lack of knowledge on the part of primary care providers, and even some specialty physicians, of the benefits of biologics for severe asthma, said Kher. Other potential challenges include limited infrastructure in clinician offices, such as trained personnel and staff to navigate prior auth/insurance mandates, pre-authorization barriers, and denials based on tiers by insurance companies, she noted. 'Overcoming the barriers requires a multipronged approach, improving awareness and education for healthcare professionals, improve access to specialty care for patients, and advocacy to reduce the processes for insurance approvals,' Kher said.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
My neighbour smokes and the fumes come into to our flat: Can we stop him?
I live in a leasehold flat and there is a leak in the shared water pipe running from my bathroom into the bathroom below. My neighbour wants me to pay towards fixing this as the pipe originates in my bathroom, even though he is the one with the leak. I think the property management company should pay as these pipes are communal. At the same time, my neighbour smokes and the fumes come through from his flat to mine through vents in the bathroom, kitchen and hallway. The smell is so strong that anyone coming in would assume I was also a smoker. My sister who I live with is asthmatic and this is making her extremely upset. Other neighbours have also complained. The property management company spoke to my neighbour about it, but he just said he has sealed all the air vents and that there's nothing more he can do. Is there anything I can do to resolve this? Why should I spend money fixing the water leak issues that he is complaining about, when he isn't addressing the issue of the toxic smoke fumes coming into my property? I'm considering selling the flat as this is such a nuisance. When I purchased the flat, the lease was missing. Does that affect anything? Jane Denton, of This is Money, replies: Your situation is distressing and there are multiple components to it. Getting a copy of the lease or a new one made is crucial. I'm perplexed as to how you were able to complete on the flat without this. This document will help you determine who is responsible for getting the shared water pipe fixed. It should be the managing agent or freeholders, I imagine. A key concern for you is the smoke fumes coming from your neighbour's property into yours. It is possible this could constitute a statutory nuisance, giving you a better chance of getting the problem resolved. At this stage, you may need to put your plan to sell on hold. The issues you have outlined would need to be disclosed during the selling process. I have asked two legal experts for their thoughts on your case. Given the complexity of your case, it would be sensible for you to find a solicitor and see how they can help you. Manjinder Kaur Atwal, director of housing law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, says: You have described a deeply distressing situation involving two key legal issues for leaseholders: repair responsibility and nuisance. In respect of the leak and leasehold flats, anything serving more than one property — such as shared water pipes — is usually the responsibility of the freeholder or managing agent. If the leaking pipe is part of the communal plumbing system, the management company should investigate and arrange for repairs, which should be covered by the service charge. If you do not have a copy of the lease, ask your managing agent for one, along with the building's insurance policy. The lease sets out the obligations for everybody in respect of repairs. If the lease fails to mention shared pipework or is ambiguous, you may still have a case under broader property law principles. Generally, landlords are responsible for maintaining structural and communal parts of a building especially where issues affect multiple flats. If the lease confirms the landlord is responsible for the repair but they do not act, there are several options available. Begin by raising a formal complaint in writing, referring to the relevant lease provisions and clearly requesting remedial action. If the issue remains unresolved, you may consider applying to the First-tier Tribunal to carry out the repair or, if the associated costs are recoverable, through the service charge. However, if you want to compel the landlord to undertake the works or to claim compensation for losses suffered due to the disrepair, you need to issue a County Court claim, which can grant specific performance, award damages or issue injunctive relief. You can also report the matter to your local authority under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Officials can assess the health risk and issue enforcement notices if the property is deemed hazardous. Second, the heavy smoke entering your flat could amount to a nuisance and breach your neighbour's lease, especially if it affects your health. Most leases ban behaviour that annoys or disrupts others' enjoyment of their home. The managing agent has a duty to enforce this. If they don't, you can again take legal action and possibly seek an injunction. Given your sister's asthma, you could be protected under the Equality Act 2010. Landlords must avoid discrimination and take reasonable steps to reduce harm to disabled residents. Documenting the problem, including dates, witness statements from neighbours, and any health impacts is vital if legal action becomes necessary. As for selling the flat: unresolved leaks and nuisance problems can affect its value or saleability, so resolving the issues first is best. Legal advice is highly recommended before taking drastic action. Kathryn Cooling, an associate in RWK Goodman's property disputes team, says: There are a lot of issues here, but let's start with the missing lease, because that's fundamental. When you buy a leasehold property, your legal rights, responsibilities, and even what you actually own are defined by the lease. Without it, a solicitor can't confirm what your obligations or entitlements are. If the seller didn't have a copy of the lease, you'll need to track it down - either from the landlord, the management company or the Land Registry. If that fails, you may need to negotiate a replacement lease with the freeholder. Frankly, I'm surprised your conveyancer let the sale go through without the lease. That could be a case of professional negligence, depending on the advice you were given at the time. You might want to look into that separately. Onto the leaking water pipe—you describe it as a shared pipe. Typically, any water pipes that serve more than one flat are considered communal services, and maintaining those is usually the responsibility of the freeholder or property management company. It's worth reporting this formally to them if you haven't already. If it is their responsibility, you may still need to co-operate with them on repairs by giving access to the pipe, but at least it takes one thing off your plate. As for the toxic fumes, if your neighbour is creating a persistent smell that affects multiple properties, your local council can step in. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, this could be considered a statutory nuisance. Most councils allow you to report these issues online, and if an investigation supports your complaint, they can take formal action to stop it. If you are looking to sell the flat, these issues are all likely disclosable - meaning you'd need to inform potential buyers about the leak, the fumes, and especially the missing lease. Unfortunately, this could make your flat very hard to sell. Given all these complications, I strongly recommend that you get independent legal advice regarding your lease and the previous conveyancer, escalate the leak and fumes to the management company and local council respectively, and consider resolving these matters before attempting to sell. How to find a new mortgage Borrowers who need a mortgage because their current fixed rate deal is ending, or they are buying a home, should explore their options as soon as possible. Buy-to-let landlords should also act as soon as they can. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you What if I need to remortgage? Borrowers should compare rates, speak to a mortgage broker and be prepared to act. Homeowners can lock in to a new deal six to nine months in advance, often with no obligation to take it. Most mortgage deals allow fees to be added to the loan and only be charged when it is taken out. This means borrowers can secure a rate without paying expensive arrangement fees. Keep in mind that by doing this and not clearing the fee on completion, interest will be paid on the fee amount over the entire term of the loan, so this may not be the best option for everyone. What if I am buying a home? Those with home purchases agreed should also aim to secure rates as soon as possible, so they know exactly what their monthly payments will be. Buyers should avoid overstretching and be aware that house prices may fall, as higher mortgage rates limit people's borrowing ability and buying power. What about buy-to-let landlords Buy-to-let landlords with interest-only mortgages will see a greater jump in monthly costs than homeowners on residential mortgages. This makes remortgaging in plenty of time essential and our partner L&C can help with buy-to-let mortgages too. How to compare mortgage costs The best way to compare mortgage costs and find the right deal for you is to speak to a broker. This is Money has a long-standing partnership with fee-free broker L&C, to provide you with fee-free expert mortgage advice. Interested in seeing today's best mortgage rates? Use This is Money and L&Cs best mortgage rates calculator to show deals matching your home value, mortgage size, term and fixed rate needs. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you. > Find your best mortgage deal with This is Money and L&C Be aware that rates can change quickly, however, and so if you need a mortgage or want to compare rates, speak to L&C as soon as possible, so they can help you find the right mortgage for you. lll
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Dieselgate pollution killed 16,000 people in UK, study estimates
The excess pollution emitted as a result of the Dieselgate scandal has killed about 16,000 people in the UK and caused 30,000 cases of asthma in children, according to a new analysis. A further 6,000 premature deaths will occur in coming years without action, the researchers said. The Dieselgate scandal erupted in 2015 when diesel cars were found to be emitting far more toxic air pollution on the roads than when they passed regulatory tests, due to the use of illegal 'defeat devices'. Large fines and compulsory recalls of vehicles to remove or disable the defeat devices took place in the US. But experts say the UK and most EU countries have lagged far behind, leading to devastating impacts on health, and urge immediate action. Many millions of highly polluting diesel vehicles remain on the roads in the UK and EU. The analysis estimated the impact of only the excess pollution released due to the defeat devices, not the total emissions from the cars. In the UK, these excess emissions had led to 800,000 days of sick leave and a total economic burden due to deaths and poor health of £96bn by 2024. Across the UK and EU combined, the fallout from Dieselgate has included about 124,000 early deaths and economic damage of €760bn (£637bn), the study estimated. Without action, a further 81,000 premature deaths and €430bn are projected by 2040, by which time most Dieselgate vehicles will no longer be in use. 'Our calculations reveal the widespread and devastating health impacts of excessive diesel emissions – thousands of lives cut short, countless children developing asthma, and an immense burden of chronic illness,' said Dr Jamie Kelly, at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), which conducted the research for environmental law group ClientEarth. 'This is a crisis with a long and lingering legacy,' he said. 'Without action, these impacts will stretch far into the future, affecting generations to come. Governments have a responsibility to break this cycle.' ClientEarth lawyer Emily Kearsey said: 'The scale of the UK government's response has been completely disproportionate to the public health crisis that we're facing. Auto manufacturers have been trying to sweep the Dieselgate scandal under the carpet for too long. The UK government has the opportunity to finally stand up for people's health and hold polluters accountable.' Jemima Hartshorn, of campaign group Mums for Lungs, said: 'Millions of diesel cars on our roads are still emitting toxically high levels of pollution and it's costing our health, especially the health of our children.' Defeat devices have been illegal since before the Dieselgate scandal but in 2020 new UK law placed a duty on the government to investigate vehicles suspected of using defeat devices. New powers in 2021 enabled the government to create laws that could force manufacturers to recall vehicles on environmental grounds. These powers have yet to be used, although it is believed a consultation is planned. In 2023, ClientEarth sent a legal complaint to the government based on the strong evidence that many vehicles using defeat devices remained on the road. After this, the government said in 2024 that it was investigating 47 different car models under 20 brands by 11 manufacturers, and that more would follow. In the US, regulators fined Volkswagen £1.45bn and the company also had to pay $5bn into pollution mitigation funds for its role in Dieselgate. It was also forced to fix the cars or buy them back. In contrast, the UK has imposed no fines on any car company nor forced any recalls. 'In the UK, and the EU on the whole, there's just not been anywhere near the same level of accountability,' said Kearsey. Instead, individual consumers have been left to fight for financial compensation from manufacturers through the UK courts, leaving the excessively polluting vehicles on our roads. Almost 2 million consumer claims are now being pursued in the high court against 18 auto-manufacturers alleged to have used prohibited defeat devices. In 2022, Volkswagen agreed to pay £193m to 91,000 drivers in England and Wales. Some car manufacturers have undertaken voluntary recalls to fix the vehicles but public information on this is limited and only a small fraction of affected vehicles are likely to have been covered. The Crea report used data on car fleets and real-world emissions and modelling to estimate the impact of the excess emissions due to Dieselgate. The models have been widely used in scientific research and the relationships between nitrogen dioxide and small particle pollution and ill health and deaths were taken from published studies. The analysis considered emissions that were more than double the legal limit as excess and almost certainly due to the use of defeat devices. It covered such diesel vehicles approved from 2009. A stricter real-world emissions test was fully implemented in the EU in 2021. Prof Suzanne Bartington, at the University of Birmingham, UK, said it was clear that the toxic emissions led to early deaths and disease. She said a more conservative approach would not have added the premature deaths from NO2 and from small particles together, as it is unclear to what extent each contributes to mortality individually. 'We tend to use the higher of either estimate,' she said. That approach would give an estimate of 13,000 Dieselgate deaths in the UK by 2024, rather than the Crea central estimate of 16,000. On Monday, a regional court in Germany sentenced four former VW managers for fraud, with two sent to prison and two given suspended sentences. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'Defeat devices are illegal, misleading for drivers and can have negative health impacts on the public. We routinely and robustly check vehicles against emission standards and acted quickly to set up an investigation on this matter. We will work with industry to resolve any issues identified.'
