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Article: Nitric oxide in Asians misleads asthma tests
- Article from:
- Honolulu Star - Bulletin
- Article date:
- January 22, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Honolulu Star - Bulletin Jan 22, 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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face=+Bold; Chemical monitoring is a potential method for disease screeningface=-Bold;
STORY SUMMARY »
Breath tests provide an important tool in diagnosing asthma and should be covered by health insurers, doctors say.
However, the key chemical marker for asthma, nitric oxide, occurs in the breath of Asian children at nearly twice the level as Caucasian children, which could lead to misdiagnosis, Canadian researchers warn.
Dr. Jeffrey Kam, Straub Clinic & Hospital allergy and asthma specialist, said nitric oxide monitoring is an important procedure and should be covered by medical insurance companies such as the Hawaii Medical Service Association.
HMSA does not cover nitric oxide ...