Doctors blame poor research designs for the lack of clinical evidence on how to reduce mite exposure to improve asthma.
An analysis of all randomized clinical trials (1980 -1996) on mite avoidance in asthma found that all previous attempts had failed to prove efficacy because of poor study designs.The authors of the analysis called for new and improved studies and asked researchers not to repeat failed study designs, as they were unlikely to succeed. In describing the failed attempts, the analysis noted, single intervention studies, and studies that were successful but too small in patient numbers to be considered significant.
Reference ‘House dust mite control measures in the management of asthma: meta-analysis. Gøtsche PC, Hammarquist C, Burr M., British Medical Journal, 1998;317:1105-1110’
