Pulmonology

There have been many times where exercise has been shown to be important in a person's life. This is especially true for people with diabetes in order to best manage their symptoms.

According to a recently published review, development is proceeding on vaccines that hope to prevent or mitigate asthma, with several approaches advancing to clinical trial.

“With the development of monoclonal antibodies that neutralize specific cytokines and the aid of biomarkers, new avenues for the treatment of asthma have been explored.”

Metered dose inhalers with a dose counter integrated could reduce the number of visits to emergency departments.

Researchers believe new therapeutic options, including tiotropium, will emerge to help doctors and patients improve the management of asthma.

A study presented at CHEST 2016 in Los Angeles found that home visits made to non-compliant asthmatics or those with uncontrolled symptoms drastically increased their adherence to treatment and regular office visits in the following year.

The researchers found that those whose fathers smoked prior to their conception were at a three times greater risk of developing non-allergic early onset asthma. Welding was also implicated.

The results of two recent phase 3 trials of a new biologic show that it has significant impact as an add-on treatment in reducing exacerbation rates in patients with severe and uncontrolled asthma.

During a pediatric asthma attack physicians rely on intravenous aminophylline. A UK study questions whether the dosing regimens have been properly researched and calls for studies that better define therapeutic ranges.

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.

Tuberculosis infection adds major risks for patients with HIV/AIDS. Two case studies describe what can happen to such patients.

As one of the most popular movie franchises in history, Star Wars has reached a wide range of people across the globe. Some have seen ways to apply lessons from the movies to help in the diagnosis of mental health patients.

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.

Recent research from the Duquesne University School of Nursing has shown that a relatively low-intensity intervention delivered in community settings led to significant improvements in diet, activity and general health among participants. This type of intervention approach can play a key role in promoting aging in place and preventing transition to a higher level of care.

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

The MD Magazine editors rounded up the 10 best stories from September – did you read them all?

In Finland, subarachnoid hemorrhage prevalence decreased by 45 percent and 38 percent among women and men under age 50 years, respectively. Additionally, in women and men over 50, SAH prevalence decreased by 16 percent and 26 percent, respectively. During the same period, smoking among the population aged 15-64 years decreased by about a third.

The issue of physician assisted suicide can cause people to fervently pick one side or another. For some, their belief is so strong that they are moved to do things they may not have done in their career beforehand.

For many psychiatrists one of their biggest challenges in their daily practice is working to show patients that suicide is not the solution to their problems. Changes in the criteria for physician assisted suicide in Europe which include allowing mental illness as a criteria can fly in the face of that mission.

The issue of physician assisted suicide is one that has been debated both in the medical community and in the general population. Recent law changes by some European countries have brought the issue to the forefront perhaps more than ever before.

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.

Across the board, researchers saw that studies of active smokers showed increased prevalence of the skin condition, regardless of age or region. It isn't quite clear, though, whether smoking causes AD or AD causes people to smoke.

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.

Recent trials involving promising medications to treat patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction have not produced significant reductions in mortality.

Research results presented at HFSA 2016 support switching from conventional treatment approaches to the new combination treatment.

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