Focus on Allergy

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Kevin Fussell, MD Up to one in 10 patients with asthma have severe disease, and of those patients, up to 1.3 million have severe uncontrolled asthma.1-3 Since severe asthma has been associated with reduced lung function and poor outcomes.4,5 Dr Kevin Fussell is here to talk about how a treatment option may help patients with severe eosinophilic asthma as well as how we can use telemedicine to help manage and diagnose them. Chung KF, Wenzel SE, Brozek JL, et al. International ERS/ATS guidelines on definition, evaluation and treatment of severe asthma. Eur Respir J. 2014;43(2):343-373. Hankin CS, Bronstone A, Wang Z, Small MB, Buck P. Estimated prevalence and economic burden of severe, uncontrolled asthma in the United States. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;131(2):AB126. Global Initiative for Asthma. Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. Updated 2020. Available from: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GINA-2020-report_20_06_04-1-wms.pdf. Accessed August 22, 2020. Newby C, Agbetile J, Hargadon, B, et al. Lung function decline and variable airway inflammatory pattern: longitudinal analysis of severe asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(2):287-294. Global Initiative for Asthma. Difficult-to-treat and severe asthma in adolescent and adult patients 2019. Available from:https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GINA-Severe-asthma-Pocket-Guide-v2.0-wms-1.pdf. Accessed November 1, 2020. ©2020 AstraZeneca. All rights reserved. US-34513 Last Updated 11/20 ...

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D. Allergic reactions to peanut are unpredictable in occurrence and in how they present, with some individuals experiencing severe reactions from even trace amounts. Fortunately, there's now an FDA-approved treatment option available that—when used in conjunction with peanut avoidance—can help reduce the risk of these allergic reactions in children with peanut allergy, as pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein explains.

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D. Allergic reactions to peanut are unpredictable in occurrence and in how they present, with some individuals experiencing severe reactions from even trace amounts. Fortunately, there’s now an FDA-approved treatment option available that—when used in conjunction with peanut avoidance—can help reduce the risk of these allergic reactions in children with peanut allergy, as pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein explains.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Maria Pasioti Food allergy trials help us stay on the cutting edge by studying the latest treatment advances, but are we consistent in the terminology we use and even in the way we apply these findings to clinical practice? To find out, Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr. Maria Pasioti, who discusses the design, endpoints, and real-world implications of food allergy trials.

Guest: Maria Pasioti Here to give us a glimpse into the prevalence and impact of IgE-mediated food allergies in the EU is Dr. Maria Pasioti, an allergist at Laiko Hospital in Athens, Greece.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Anne Ellis, MD Guest: George DuToit, MD Managing a food allergy can be difficult for both physicians and patients, which is why advocacy groups are working to advance the interests of this community and develop guidelines for healthcare professionals. To find out more, Dr. Jennifer Caudle is joined by Drs. Anne Ellis and George DuToit, who discuss their opinions and go into detail about how physicians can help patients living with a food allergy.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Bruce Lanser, MD Guest: Drew Bird, MD Clinical trials are an important part of food allergy research, but there are some pretty big differences in the language that’s used to define primary endpoints and reported outcomes—not only here, but also abroad. Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to interpret the language that’s used in food allergy research and the implications of these different dialects are Drs. Drew Bird and Bruce Lanser.

Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc Guest: Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD Get a bird’s-eye view of how oral immunotherapy (OIT) is developing in different countries with Dr. Mario Nacinovich and Dr. Jonathan Spergel, who also discusses the reasoning behind this strategy and when we should use this treatment option for our patients with food allergies.

Host: Amy Mackey, MD Guest: Jay Lieberman, MD Guest: Alan Goldsobel, MD When it comes to managing patients with food allergy, what team members should contribute within your practice? To find out, Dr. Amy Mackey speaks with Drs. Jay Lieberman and Alan Goldsobel who discuss their food allergy care teams along with how they overcome common obstacles.

Guest: Jay Lieberman, MD Food challenges can be done in a few different ways, and here to walk us through two types that are commonly used in research and clinical settings is Dr. Jay Lieberman, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Guest: Jay Lieberman, MD As oral immunotherapy for food allergy continues to gain traction in clinical trials, Dr. Jay Lieberman shares four key takeaways regarding its side effects, whether it should be viewed as a cure, how it could potentially change a patient’s lifestyle, and ultimately, if it’s the answer for every patient with a food allergy.

Host: Amy Mackey, MD Guest: Brian P. Vickery, MD In an effort to help physicians provide better care for those patients at risk of unpredictable—and potentially life-threatening—allergic reactions, the PALISADE group of clinical investigators explored oral immunotherapy as a potential treatment. Joining Dr. Amy Mackey to review these findings is the study’s lead author, Dr. Brian Vackey. He’s also an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Food Allergy Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Emory University.

Guest: Brian P. Vickery, MD To help address some common concerns, a recent study from the PALISADE group of clinical investigators looked at the safety and efficacy of peanut oral immunotherapy. So what exactly did the study find? Here to review the trial’s promising results is Dr. Brian Vickery. In addition to being the lead author of the study, he’s also an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Food Allergy Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Emory University.

Host: Amy Mackey, MD Guest: Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH Before we are able to improve how we address, research, and treat food allergies, we must first better understand the true prevalence and severity of this health threat. To help close this knowledge gap, Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Dr. Ruchi Gupta reveals key findings from The Public Health Impact of Parent-Reported Childhood Food Allergies in the United States study.

Guest: Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH Despite the increasing prevalence of food allergies in children nationwide, accurate and comprehensive statistics regarding its impacts didn’t exist, which is exactly why The Public Health Impact of Parent-Reported Childhood Food Allergies in the United States study was conducted. Here to walk us through its findings is Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and lead author of the study.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Erica Spector As physicians, we know how difficult adjusting to and living with a peanut allergy can be for our young patients, but we don’t always think about the toll that this burden takes on their caregivers. Follow along with Erica Spector, mother and caregiver of a child with a peanut allergy, as she describes the precautions and considerations she takes every single day to ensure that her teenage daughter stays safe in every aspect of her life.

Guest: Jennifer Caudle, DO Conducting clinical research is essential if we are to better understand peanut allergies, yet the terminology to describe these findings only confuses and frustrates clinicians. Here to help clear up the confusion is Dr. Jennifer Caudle, who also demonstrates the importance of standardizing these terms so that the medical community as a whole can accurately and effectively utilize these research findings.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Guest: J. Wesley Sublett, MD, MPH Guest: Nia Gandolfo Having a peanut allergy affects almost every aspect of your patient’s life, especially if they’re an adolescent. Learn more about what the real burden of this allergy is for patient Nia and her doctor J. Wesley Sublett of Family Allergy and Asthma in Louisville, Kentucky.

Guest: J. Wesley Sublett, MD, MPH With the prevalence of peanut allergy on the rise, there’s a lot physicians need to know about diagnosis, treatment barriers, and its impact on our healthcare system as a whole. Taking a look at each of these pieces in this problematic puzzle is Dr. Wesley Sublett from Family Allergy and Asthma in Louisville, Kentucky.

Guest: David Stukus, MD With the prevalence of peanut allergies increasing, it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers and forget that living with a peanut allergy comes with a significant burden for children and families alike, as Dr. David Stukus from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Ohio State College of Medicine explains.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Guest: Henry A. Wojtczak, MD Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are common allergic respiratory conditions. In fact, AR is a major factor in the development of asthma. Medical costs associated with these two conditions are high, but can be reduced considerably when following evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guidelines, which include allergy testing and avoidance of relevant allergens. The goal of this CME activity is to help clinicians understand the rationale for allergy testing for people with AR and asthma and incorporate the results from allergy testing into a comprehensive evidence-based treatment approach.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Do pets help prevent allergies? Does the 5-second rule actually exist? And is dirt really good for a child's immune system? Host Dr. John Russell talks with Jack Gilbert, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago and Director of the Microbiome Institute. Dr. Gilbert is author of the book Dirt is Good, answering questions about the potential benefits of exposure to germs and bacteria. He and Dr. Russell sift through common misconceptions about microbiomes to better understand their actual risks and benefits for the body's immune system, explaining its role in disease and health.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Do pets help prevent allergies? Does the 5-second rule actually exist? And is dirt really good for a child’s immune system? Host Dr. John Russell talks with Jack Gilbert, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago and Director of the Microbiome Institute. Dr. Gilbert is author of the book Dirt is Good, answering questions about the potential benefits of exposure to germs and bacteria. He and Dr. Russell sift through common misconceptions about microbiomes to better understand their actual risks and benefits for the body's immune system, explaining its role in disease and health.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Allergies occur when your immune system mistakes a normally harmless allergen for a dangerous invader and moves to destroy it, producing an allergic reaction. What exactly causes this response, and what are the best treatments to combat it? Host Brian McDonough chats with Dr. Avery August, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, about his research regarding how allergens affect the immune system.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Allergies occur when your immune system mistakes a normally harmless allergen for a dangerous invader and moves to destroy it, producing an allergic reaction. What exactly causes this response, and what are the best treatments to combat it? Host Brian McDonough chats with Dr. Avery August, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, about his research regarding how allergens affect the immune system.

Host: Kathy King, RDN It's estimated that 4 - 8% of the U.S. population has at least one food allergy, and the incidence rate appears to be growing. How do we explain this harmful trend in public health, and what can clinicians and patients do to help mitigate the risk of developing food allergies? Host Kathy King is joined by Debra Indorato, nutrition advisor for Kids With Allergies, which is a division of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The two discuss the latest understandings and dietetic approaches to food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances.

Host: Kathy King, RDN It's estimated that 4 - 8% of the U.S. population has at least one food allergy, and the incidence rate appears to be growing. How do we explain this harmful trend in public health, and what can clinicians and patients do to help mitigate the risk of developing food allergies? Host Kathy King is joined by Debra Indorato, nutrition advisor for Kids With Allergies, which is a division of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The two discuss the latest understandings and dietetic approaches to food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD The simple act of going out to eat can be a tricky proposition for people dealing with gluten intolerance or sensitivity issues. A new portable device is aiming to help people with this problem by allowing them to test food's gluten content and help find foods that they are able to eat. Host Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with guest Carla Borsoi, Vice President of Marketing at 6Sensor Labs, about how this device will assist people living with gluten intolerance or sensitivity issues.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD The simple act of going out to eat can be a tricky proposition for people dealing with gluten intolerance or sensitivity issues. A new portable device is aiming to help people with this problem by allowing them to test food’s gluten content and help find foods that they are able to eat. Host Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with guest Carla Borsoi, Vice President of Marketing at 6Sensor Labs, about how this device will assist people living with gluten intolerance or sensitivity issues.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP For most people, the home is a refuge and an oasis, a place to feel safe. But few ever wonder whether their homes and the everyday household items they use to clean and maintain them could be detrimental to their health. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the unsettling health risks behind common household items, and what consumers should keep an eye on, is Andre LaCroix, Vice President of Easy Breathe, Inc.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP For most people, the home is a refuge and an oasis, a place to feel safe. But few ever wonder whether their homes and the everyday household items they use to clean and maintain them could be detrimental to their health. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the unsettling health risks behind common household items, and what consumers should keep an eye on, is Andre LaCroix, Vice President of Easy Breathe, Inc.

Over the past decade, Food Protein Enterocolitis, or FPIES, has emerged as the most actively studied non–IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy because of its acute onset, severity of symptoms, and distinctive clinical features. Yet as a rare allergic disorder of infancy and young childhood, it is often misinterpreted and misdiagnosed in clinical practice, leading to difficult treatment paths for patients and their families. Joining Dr. Renee Matthews to present a case history from the vantage point of a patient's mother, including challenges faced in reaching the correct diagnosis and starting effective treatment regimens, is Jennifer Kandt.

Over the past decade, Food Protein Enterocolitis, or FPIES, has emerged as the most actively studied non–IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy because of its acute onset, severity of symptoms, and distinctive clinical features. Yet as a rare allergic disorder of infancy and young childhood, it is often misinterpreted and misdiagnosed in clinical practice, leading to difficult treatment paths for patients and their families. Joining Dr. Renee Matthews to present a case history from the vantage point of a patient's mother, including challenges faced in reaching the correct diagnosis and starting effective treatment regimens, is Jennifer Kandt.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP As an unforgivingly cold, frigid winter in America has led to the explosive release of tree pollens over a short period this spring, seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. Says, Dr Mitchell Gaynor, clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, this could make for one of the worst allergy seasons of all time. How can primary care providers ready themselves on the frontlines of this mass allergy assault? Dr. Brian McDonough and Dr. Gaynor discuss strategies to keep clinicians on top of this emerging threat, including new understandings of eco-genetic mechanisms of allergic disease.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP As an unforgivingly cold, frigid winter in America has led to the explosive release of tree pollens over a short period this spring, seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. Says, Dr Mitchell Gaynor, clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, this could make for one of the worst allergy seasons of all time. How can primary care providers ready themselves on the frontlines of this mass allergy assault? Dr. Brian McDonough and Dr. Gaynor discuss strategies to keep clinicians on top of this emerging threat, including new understandings of eco-genetic mechanisms of allergic disease.

Guest: John Heffner, MD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Do allergies to various types of fungi trigger worsening of asthma? Are patients with severe asthma sensitive to certain species of fungus more than others? Dr. John Heffner, professor of medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University, discusses how patients with asthma might benefit from antifungal agents. Does off-label use of itraconazole for patients with severe asthma require long-term adherence for optimal asthma control? Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.

Host: Todd Mahr, MD Guest: Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD The media often report about the effect of stress on the immune system. What research supports the idea that certain individuals are more susceptible to stress than others, and how can physicians recognize patients who might be experiencing an immunological response to stress? What mechanisms might link rhinitis, asthma and chronic urticaria to stress? Dr. Gailen Marshall, professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, discusses the fascinating relationship between a patient's mental state and immunity. Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.

Guest: John Heffner, MD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Do allergies to various types of fungi trigger worsening of asthma? Are patients with severe asthma sensitive to certain species of fungus more than others? Dr. John Heffner, professor of medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University, discusses how patients with asthma might benefit from antifungal agents. Does off-label use of itraconazole for patients with severe asthma require long-term adherence for optimal asthma control? Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.

Guest: Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD Host: Todd Mahr, MD The media often report about the effect of stress on the immune system. What research supports the idea that certain individuals are more susceptible to stress than others, and how can physicians recognize patients who might be experiencing an immunological response to stress? What mechanisms might link rhinitis, asthma and chronic urticaria to stress? Dr. Gailen Marshall, professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, discusses the fascinating relationship between a patient's mental state and immunity. Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.

Guest: Norman Edelman, MD Host: Shira Johnson, MD More than 40 thousand people, including fire and rescue workers, were exposed to toxic dust in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City in September, 2001. Fast-forward more than a decade, and nearly a quarter of those first responders still have breathing issues. Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, joins host Dr. Shira Johnson to disuss what needs to be done for those who continue to suffer, as well as how children living in nearby neighborhoods have also been affected. The two also look at air quality and allergy and its affect on Americans.

Guest: Norman Edelman, MD Host: Shira Johnson, MD More than 40 thousand people, including fire and rescue workers, were exposed to toxic dust in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City in September, 2001. Fast-forward more than a decade, and nearly a quarter of those first responders still have breathing issues. Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, joins host Dr. Shira Johnson to disuss what needs to be done for those who continue to suffer, as well as how children living in nearby neighborhoods have also been affected. The two also look at air quality and allergy and its affect on Americans.

Guest: Robert Pass, MD Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection causes auditory, cognitive and neurologic impairment in thousands of infants each year in the United States. Recognition of infection in pregnant women is difficult because CMV often produces few symptoms, and antiviral treatment during pregnancy may have toxic effects. Could a new experimental vaccine hold the key to preventing maternal CMV infection during pregnancy and decrease the incidence of congenital CMV infection and its sequelae? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu evaluates the progress toward a CMV vaccine with Dr. Robert Pass, professor of pediatrics and microbiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. Dr. Pass also explains the proposed mechanism of action for the vaccine.