Asthma

Using data from the Inner City Asthma Consortium, researchers from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago were able to distinguish asthmatic children by the degree to which their condition could be controlled, and to make recommendations for more difficult cases.

A new study from Georgia State University examined the mechanisms by which resveratrol was able to work against Haemophilus influenzae, a major respiratory pathogen. The findings may be of use in developing non-antibiotic treatments for bacterial respiratory infections, and also for COPD and asthma therapies.

Asthma patients who are younger, have poor mental health, or are recently diagnosed have greater treatment needs,a German study found.

The drug, a fully human monoclonal antibody that has impressed equally in asthma and atopic dermatitis trials, may be approved for market as soon as March of 2017.

Nearly half of asthma deaths in the United Kingdom could likely have been prevented, researchers there found.

Although 35% of US patients hospitalized for an asthma exacerbation were current smokers, only 55% of current smokers received a smoking cessation intervention during their hospital stay.

A retrospective cohort analysis showed patients with severe asthma and elevated eosinophil levels accounted for only 3% of all asthma patients but an estimated $1.3 billion in costs due to hospital admission for asthma exacerbation.

Allergen immunotherapy can reduce symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma and decrease the need for medication, but it poses the risk of asthma exacerbation or anaphylaxis, particularly in patients with uncontrolled asthma.

After 6 months of treatment with inhaled budesonide, 800 μg daily, bronchial hyperresponsiveness was greater and the proportion of eosinophils in induced sputum and improvement in lung function were lower in smokers than in nonsmokers with asthma.

A French population-based study indicated that better drug therapy could prevent many hospital admissions for asthma exacerbations.

Once-daily tiotropium added to inhaled corticosteroids was safe and well tolerated in a phase 3 trial in nearly 400 asthmatic adolescents.

The percentage of patients with adverse events was comparable in the tiotropium and the placebo treatment groups in pooled data from seven phase 2 and 3 studies in nearly 3,500 adults.

Contrary to the previously published literature on cardiac function in asthma patients, Turkish researchers observed no diastolic dysfunction in a group of 50 asthmatic children evaluated in a recent echocardiographic study, even with tissue Doppler imaging.

Increasing evidence supports the possibility that alterations in gut microbiota may influence susceptibility to asthma and allergic diseases such as eczema and food allergies.

There is no longer any question about the health risks associated with smoking. What remains to be found is what is the best way to help people who have started to smoke to quit.

As the effort continues to help people quit smoking research is being done to find the best treatment options available and any potential issues they may present in the process.

Investigators found poor asthma control in obese or overweight patients despite optimal treatment and significantly higher BMI values in those with uncontrolled asthma than in those with partially or totally controlled asthma.

Endothelial activation and levels of C-reactive protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1, and von Willebrand factor increased during asthma exacerbations in a study of 22 pediatric patients.

Researchers know that cigarette smoke is hazardous to children, even when it is secondhand. But the impact marijuana smoke has on kids in households where adults smoke cannabis been little studied.

Weight plays different sex-related roles in the likelihood children with asthma will be able to control their condition in early adulthood, a Danish study found.

A UK study suggests that asthma starts in-utero and is triggered by mothers' health. Maternal smoking plays a role.

Announced at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in London, a new meta-analysis published in the Cochrane Library seems to show that vitamin D, in conjunction with standard asthma care, may reduce incidence of asthma attacks.

For patients who struggle with positive airway pressure machines there have been developments in recent years to help them treat their sleep apnea and other disorders.

Whether it is obstructive or central sleep apnea or any number of other conditions finding the right treatment method can make a big difference in improving quality of life.

One of the consequences of lung disease for patients can be significant sleep issues. While these are important to manage in the general population, the need is even greater for this group as well.

When patients are looking for a pulmonary rehabilitation center it is not enough to find anywhere that offers a program. Working with their doctors can ensure they find the help they need from the place best suited for their needs.

From the time a patient enters pulmonary rehab until their condition runs its course a total team effort is required to ensure the best results possible.

Patients with cardiac conditions are familiar with the process of rehabilitation after an event as they work to get better. For pulmonary rehab the work is focused on different angles to help improve the quality of life in patients in different ways.

The study claims to be “one of the largest primary care cohorts ever assembled to describe epidemiologic characteristics of healthcare provider-diagnosed eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergy.”

Previous research showed that non-smoking residents of multi-unit buildings were still at risk due to smoke infiltration: nicotine concentrations were comparable from unit to unit regardless of whether or not the resident smoked.