Pulmonology
Beta blockers have positive effect in pulmonary arterial hypertension
A team of Cleveland Clinic researchers found that a common heart disease medication, beta blockers, may help treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a debilitating lung disease. Caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, PAH is...Smoking blocks lungs' self-healing processes
Smoke from cigarettes blocks self-healing processes in the lungs and consequently can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, partner in the German Centre for Lung Research...Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation effective
Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation may be equally effective in improving fitness and quality of life as a traditional centre-based programme for COPD patients, found Australian research.Fitness may slow lung function decline in ageing
Greater cardiopulmonary fitness in young adulthood through to middle age is associated with less decline in pulmonary function over time, found a large Northwestern University data analysis.Link between persistent childhood asthma and COPD
In the largest and longest US analysis of persistent asthmatics to date, investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital found a link between persistent childhood asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in early adulthood....Exercise reduces risk of dying in COPD patients
Any amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity can effectively reduce the risk of dying after hospitalisation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Lung abnormalities increase mortality risk
The presence of interstitial lung abnormalities are associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality, according to a study by Harvard and Brigham and Woman's Hospital.Duration of mechanical ventilation in COPD
Among mechanically ventilated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and metabolic alkalosis, administration of the respiratory stimulant acetazolamide did not significantly reduce the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation,...New screening test for cystic fibrosis
Stanford University researchers have developed a fast, inexpensive and highly accurate test to screen newborns for cystic fibrosis.Women have double the risk of COPD
Women can have twice the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than men, found a Lund University study.Some adolescent asthma not inflammatory
Asthma in many adolescents is not likely to involve inflammation of the airways and therefore should not be considered an allergic disease, found a New Zealand study.First guidelines for chronic fungal lung infections
The world's first guidelines for chronic fungal lung infections for doctors and laboratories have been published, by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)....E-cigarette flavourings linked to respiratory disease
Diacetyl, a flavouring chemical linked to cases of severe respiratory disease, was found in more than 75% of flavoured electronic cigarettes and refill liquids tested by researchers at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.Pesticides decrease lung function in kids
A 279-child US study links the levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites with decreased lung function.Early Tx reduces risk of LRTI disease progression
Among young children with histories of recurrent severe lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI), the use of azithromycin early during an apparent RTI significantly reduced the risk of experiencing progression to severe LRTI.