What are the top 3 asthma articles for March 2014? Vote here

As some of you may know, I write a monthly column for the World Allergy Organization (WAO) Small Airways Working Group subsite called What Is New in Small Airways Research. The column is always open for suggestions. Let's make this a truly interactive worldwide experience! Feel free to submit your own list of top asthma articles via the comments below. If your suggested article is selected for publication, you will received an acknowledgement.

The goal is to select the top 3 asthma articles published every month. The current edition and the archive are linked below:

http://www.worldallergy.org/small_airways_group/reviews

http://www.worldallergy.org/small_airways_group/reviews/archive.php

The column is distributed to 30,000 accounts worldwide via the WAO News and Notes monthly newsletter: http://www.worldallergy.org/enews

Here is the list of proposed articles for this month:

Children with severe asthma had 32 times higher risk for developing COPD, 43% of the COPD group had never smoked http://buff.ly/1oIJ3FH

Decrease ICS by 50% after a period of asthma stability - Risk of asthma exacerbation remains low http://buff.ly/1iCVtwV -- Asthma exacerbations were statistically no more likely among individuals who reduced ICS compared to those who maintained their ICS dose, supporting current guidelines which recommend decreasing ICS by 50% after a period of asthma stability.

Asthma in pregnancy: a hit for two http://buff.ly/1gSsZLB

Childhood asthma phenotypes: some clusters do not respond to inhaled steroids http://buff.ly/1hs0lBa

Feel free to comment and send other suggestions. Your feedback is always appreciated!

WAO TV and Allergy Journal Club on Twitter

The WAO TV has published more than 20 video interviews with experts from 2014 AAAAI meeting. Check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWAOChannel/playlists

We can plan an interview with the authors of any of the top 3 asthma articles. Feel free to submit questions in addition to the standard four:

1. What are main findings of the study?
2. How will it affect patients?
3. What is the take home message for allergists and primary care physicians?
4. Where is this type of research heading in the future?

Here is a sample video: Dr Lieberman: Anaphylaxis in America. Don't forget that this year’s theme of World Allergy Week 2014 (7-13 April) is "Anaphylaxis - When Allergies Can Be Severe and Fatal.”



A little known fact is that allergists launched the first ever medical Journal Club on Twitter in 2008. Read more about the history here: The First Journal Club on Twitter - Then and Now http://buff.ly/1dvsZ90

Here is the ACAAI poster from 2009:



It's time to resume Allergy Journal Club! Here is the proposed setup, which again, is completely open for your suggestions for improvement: #AllergyJC - Allergy Journal Club on Twitter http://buff.ly/1dvtf8b

The following allergists expressed interest in #AllergyJC after the 2014 AAAAI meeting:

@Docallergy
@RayFirszt
@PAallergy
@Brian34Schroer
@mrathkopf
@IgECPD
@DrAnneEllis
@choirdoc

Join us!

Finally, a Google Plus community was launched for the World Allergy Organization (WAO) Junior Members. I expect WAO JMG members to be active participants in the selection of top 3 asthma articles, Allergy Journal Club and WAO TV. The Google Plus community will tie it all together for what would be a truly interactive worldwide experience in allergy education.