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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2000;283:875.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Researchers have determined that there's sufficient evidence to conclude that exposure to the ubiquitous dust mite not only can trigger symptoms but can actually play a causal role in the development of asthma in susceptible people, according to a new report from a committee of the Institute of Medicine. The prevalence of asthma has been climbing dramatically in recent years, but the factors behind this increase remain a mystery.

Allergens from microscopic dust mites play a causal role in asthma, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine. (Photo credit: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)

Besides having a causal role in asthma, dust mite allergens, as well as exposure to allergens from cat dander and cockroaches, can provoke an attack of symptoms in some individuals who already have asthma, the report notes, while secondhand smoke can cause a worsening of symptoms in preschoolers . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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