After suffering from severe asthma since she was a child, the nutrition guru speaks up about the groundbreaking treatment that has given her a new lease of life in her 70s.

Dieting queen Rosemary Conley, one of the country’s most well-known fitness gurus, has helped thousands of individuals lose weight and get in shape.

Despite teaching many exercise courses and going to the gym on a regular basis, Rosemary has had severe asthma for most of her life and considers herself fortunate to be alive.

Rosemary, 75, who was diagnosed with asthma at the age of two, says: “My lungs were so under-developed that the doctors told my parents I probably wouldn’t survive beyond the age of 10.”

Her breathing was so bad that when she was eight, she remained three months in a children’s hospital being monitored, only to be home with a month’s supply of liquid inhaler.

“Each puff of medicine was precious,” Rosemary, a Leicestershire resident, recounts. “I spent most of my childhood looking on from the sidelines as there was so much I couldn’t do.”

Rosemary’s asthma became less of an issue as her lungs developed and medication evolved, but she believes that the reason she hasn’t been more unwell is that she watches her condition and gets regular check-ups.

“The last time I had a serious asthma attack was in my 20s. I was watching a cricket match on a freshly mowed lawn and something about that grass really aggravated my lungs. I can still remember the terror of trying to breathe.”

Since then, Rosemary has been diligent in managing her disease, and she currently uses four inhalers every day, some of which serve to prevent attacks and others that aid to relieve symptoms.

Rosemary was also diagnosed with bronchiectasis four years ago, a chronic lung illness that causes the airways to become compromised, resulting in abundant mucus, uncontrollable coughing, exhaustion, and recurrent chest infections.

Rosemary, on the other hand, has lately been given a new lease on life thanks to biologics, a type of medicine created to treat some severe asthmatics as a result of Asthma + Lung UK-funded research.

She’s been taking the drug for the past two months, and the results have been amazing.

“My breathing is so much better now, and surprisingly, it has really reduced my bronchiectasis symptoms too, which I wasn’t expecting,” she says.

“These biologics drugs are like a laser-guided missile compared to steroids that could be likened to cluster bombs as they come with so many unwanted side effects,” says Ian Pavord, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Oxford.

“The problem is that only a fifth of the people who are eligible for these drugs are accessing them as so many people with severe asthma don’t realise that biologics exist.”

“Biologic treatments used for asthma are also known as monoclonal antibodies. These are specialist treatments using antibodies which can target specific cells or chemicals in the body,” explains Dr Whittamore.

“Monoclonal antibodies can treat some types of severe asthma by helping to stop processes that cause lung inflammation. This is inflammation that may be caused by allergies or by high levels of a cell in the body called an eosinophil.”

Apart from medication, Dr. Whittamore emphasizes that, while the most important thing people with asthma or lung issues can do is take their medication as prescribed, exercise is also crucial.

“Being more active helps you to use more of your lungs and to use them more efficiently – which can help to reduce chest symptoms,” he adds.

“It is also good for general fitness, can help with weight control and boost mental health – all of which can have a positive impact on asthma and other lung conditions.”

Rosemary’s asthma has clearly never been triggered by exercise. Her weekly routine of two workout courses, three gym sessions, a ballet lesson, and a daily stroll, she says, has kept her going.

“Whenever my consultant gives me a peak flow test [a measurement of how quickly air can be exhaled from the lungs] he is always amazed that I am able to go to the gym and spent so many years ice skating,” she says.

“He has been blunt about the fact that if it wasn’t for my fitness levels and the proactive way in which I look after my lungs, that I probably wouldn’t still be here.

“It’s something I won’t ever let myself forget.”

Image Credit: Getty

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