Health officials believe genomics — the interaction of genes with the environment — is at play. But how? That's a question they hope to examine during a half-day asthma workshop June 7, hosted by the Utah Asthma Task Force at the Cannon Health Department, 288 N. 1460 West, in Salt Lake City. The conference is free and the public is invited, but online registration is required at /health.utah.gov/asthma/genomicsworkshop.html. Karen Smith of North Salt Lake is convinced genomics come into play for her three children, now adults, who have asthma. That three of them have the condition says to her it's part genetic. And she's seen the havoc that visiting her home wreaks on their lungs. She wonders what role, if any, nearby refineries and other industries and their emissions may have. But she admits she has more questions than answers. Health officials had previously brokeninformation down by local health districts, but found that people were interested in smaller areas, so they drilled down to neighborhood and city levels, where possible, based on population. Some rural areas are still rated according to health-district boundaries. But in urban areas, they were able to look much more closely at location and disease rates.

The conference includes an expert from the University of Washington who will look at environmental components in asthma management, "often overlooked in providing care," Chuy said. A University of Utah expert will discuss trends of family history and asthma, including what has been learned from death certificate data. Then a panel comprised of clinicians, including a pharmacist, pediatrician and respiratory therapist, will talk about tailoring treatment to the individual, based on such factors as environment and genetics, Chuy said.

Although the geographic data released focuses solely on prevalence among children, information on occurrence rates in adults should be completed soon, as well, she said.

---

E-mail: lois@desnews.com