Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Respiratory / Asthma News

Human Immune Response In Wildland Firefighters

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;  Public Health;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 30 May 2008 - 6:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article
Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:5 stars

5 (2 votes)

Health Professional:not yet rated

Article Opinions: 0 posts

The Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism (Montana WPEM) will present a human clinical study at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, showing that wildland firefighters who consumed a yeast based (beta glucan) antioxidant supplement, Wellmune WGP®, had far fewer - 23 percent- upper respiratory tract infections, compared to a similar group of firefighters taking a placebo.

Montana WPEM Director Brent C. Rudy said, "Wildland fire suppression crew health is a top concern. We are looking for a way to give the people, who do this demanding, intense work a nutritional 'edge' - a way to stay healthy under very difficult, almost combat-like conditions.

"The results of the firefighters study show a strong statistical trend that subjects who used Wellmune WGP® had better physical health - 23 percent fewer upper respiratory tract infections such as, fever, headaches, weakness, coughing, sneezing and stuffy noses," Ruby said "The results are consistent with previous clinical research involving marathoners, individuals with high stress lifestyles and the general population."

In a single-blind, random, cross-over design, 54 wildland firefighters from the Bitterroot Hotshots and Great Northern Crews were given Wellmune WGP® or placebo for 14 days, followed by a three-day washout (one word: washout) period and another 14-day treatment period. During the course of treatments, subjects kept daily health logs recording cold and flu symptoms and overall feelings of well-being. If subjects recorded any cold symptom (runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, colored discharge) or flu symptom (fever, headache, general aches and pains, fatigue and weakness, chest discomfort, cough) for two consecutive days, they were classified with an upper respiratory tract infection.

There was a strong statistical trend favoring the use of Wellmune WGP® for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections. Forty-eight percent of the firefighters experienced an upper respiratory tract infection while taking the placebo, but only 37 percent had an upper respiratory tract infection while taking Wellmune WGP®. Additionally, there was strong statistical significance in the wildland firefighter's perceived health.

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
----------------------------

The research was supported by an unrestricted grant from Biothera, The Immune Health Company, (http://www.biothera.com/) and Air Force Laboratories, FA8650-06-679.

Source: Dave Walsh
Strategic Communications




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Please fill in our survey

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Breakthrough Swine Flu Test
16 Jun 2009
A leading Melbourne scientist has unveiled a test able to detect Swine Flu, or any other virus, within hours. The test, known as the RETCIF™ test, is a simple test carried out on a patient sample (such as a nasal swab)...


Asthma in Kids Under 5 image Asthma in Kids Under 5

Up to 10% of children in the United States have asthma, and asthma control is key to preventing long-term problems. National treatment guidelines recommend inhaled corticosteroids to control symptoms in very young children with persistent asthma. Listen to experts discuss the options available for...

Asthma in Kids Under 5 image Asthma in Kids Under 5

Up to 10% of children in the United States have asthma, and asthma control is key to preventing long-term problems. National treatment guidelines recommend inhaled corticosteroids to control symptoms in very young children with persistent asthma. Listen to experts discuss the options available for...

View more videos...