Lung Health News, Spring/Summer 2006
Dr. Gonzalez Burchard’s research team launched their genetic studies in 1998. Early results showed that albuterol, the most commonly used type of inhaled asthma medication, was not as effective at controlling symptoms for Puerto Ricans with asthma as it was for Mexicans with asthma.
“This is critical because when a Puerto Rican child reaches for their inhaler, they will not get the same effect as any other child and we need to know that,” Dr. Gonzalez Burchard says. “Just as we are learning that different medications react differently in men and women, we need to be investigating how medications work in different races and ethnic groups.”
His research team is now trying to determine genetic and environmental risk factors that may determine the varying asthma rates in Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. The researchers are recruiting Latino participants from around the country with a variety of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
“I want to make sure diverse populations are not excluded from the health benefits that are likely to result from current efforts to identify genes that contribute to asthma,” Dr. Gonzalez Burchard says. “Cross-disciplinary epidemiologic studies conducted today offer hope for better treatments in the future.”
