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19 Aug 2008
Children who suffer from eczema have an increased risk of developing asthma as they become adults, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia found that among nearly 8,600 participants studied from the age of seven, those who had eczema as kids were nearly twice as likely to develop asthma by the time they reached middle age.
The results of the study, which began in 1968, are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Reuters reports.
Leader of the study Dr John Burgess states that if future studies indicate that eczema does indeed cause asthma in later life, then treatment of the condition in children - aimed at "really tight" control of the disease - might have a positive effect on asthma.
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition which can occur anywhere on the body, while asthma is a lung disease which causes the airways to become narrowed and results in breathing difficulties.
Click here to visit the Eczema Quick Guide
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