Dr. David Hahn’s first research paper on asthma appeared in 1991, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In that study, Dr. Hahn and his colleagues enrolled 365 patients with an acute upper respiratory illness, all of whom were suffering with cold-like symptoms.

The researchers found that C. pneumoniae infection caused 5 percent of the acute bronchitis and 20 percent of community-acquired pneumonia.

They also reported that C. pneumoniae infection was associated with wheezing, asthmatic bronchitis, and adult-onset asthma.

The authors speculated that the association was causal — C. pneumoniae was the underlying cause of asthma and wheezing.

As noted, that study was reported in 1991. You would think that since then, there would have been many more studies attempting to verify Dr. Hahn’s findings, as well as trying to identify whether a simple cure for asthma, such as antibiotics directed toward the infecting organism. But you would think wrong.

The pharmaceutical industry’s financial interest rests in the continual use of drug therapies that neither kill patients nor cure them. And a lifetime of prescription medications does more for Big Pharma’s bottom line than a short course of medication.