Feature Channels: Respiratory Diseases and Disorders

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Released: 22-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
Fiber-Rich Diet May Reduce Lung Disease
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A diet rich in fiber may not only protect against diabetes and heart disease, it may reduce the risk of developing lung disease, according to new research published online, ahead of print in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Released: 20-Jan-2016 11:05 AM EST
Long-Term Exposure to Ozone May Increase Lung and Cardiovascular Deaths
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Adults with long-term exposure to ozone (O3) face an increased risk of dying from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, according to the study “Long-Term Ozone Exposure and Mortality in a Large Prospective Study” published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Released: 15-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
UT Southwestern Researchers Identify Process That Causes Chronic Neonatal Lung Disease
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Pediatric researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a key component of the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a devastating and sometimes fatal lung disease that affects premature infants.

12-Jan-2016 3:00 PM EST
E-Cigarettes, As Used, Aren’t Helping Smokers Quit, Study Shows
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Electronic cigarettes are widely promoted and used to help smokers quit traditional cigarettes, but a new analysis from UC San Francisco found that adult smokers who use e-cigarettes are actually 28 percent less likely to stop smoking cigarettes.

Released: 12-Jan-2016 4:05 PM EST
Lung Cell Found to Act as Sensor, Regulator of Immune Response
University of Wisconsin–Madison

An uncommon and little-studied type of cell in the lungs has been found to act like a sensor, linking the pulmonary and central nervous systems to regulate immune response in reaction to environmental cues. The cells, known as pulmonary neuroendocrine cells or PNECs, are implicated in a wide range of human lung diseases, including asthma, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis and sudden infant death syndrome, among others.

Released: 8-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
Even Children with Higher IQs Behave Better When Their Sleep Apnea Is Fixed
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Many doctors will ask about quality of sleep when children have problems at school, but new research shows it’s just as important to pay attention to how high achievers are sleeping.

7-Jan-2016 12:00 AM EST
Veterans and Civilian Patients at Risk of ICU-Related PTSD Up to a Year Following Hospital Discharge
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

One in ten patients is at risk of having new post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to their ICU experience up to a year post-discharge. This was the finding from a multicenter, prospective cohort research study of veterans and civilians. The research was published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

7-Jan-2016 2:05 PM EST
Long-Term Ozone Exposure Increases Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome Risk in Critically Ill Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Critically ill patients who are exposed to higher daily levels of ozone are more likely to develop acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), according to a new study published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. ARDS is a life-threatening inflammatory lung illness in which patients fail to obtain enough oxygen to the lungs. While previous research has shown a clear association between cigarette smoke and ARDS, the study “Long-Term Ozone Exposure Increases the Risk of Developing the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome” by Lorraine Ware, MD, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and colleagues is the first to demonstrate a risk related to ozone.

Released: 7-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
Genetic Variation Linked to Respiratory Disease
University of Arizona

A UA researcher and clinician team has discovered that genetic mutations in a protein associated with asthma can affect a person’s susceptibility to a variety of lung diseases — and could lead to new treatments.

6-Jan-2016 2:00 PM EST
Statins May Lower Risk of Heart Disease in People with Sleep Apnea
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

A new study has revealed that cholsterol-lowering statins may help reverse the mechanisms that increase the risk of heart disease in people with sleep apnea.

Released: 23-Dec-2015 9:30 AM EST
Vitamin D Deficiency Does Not Increase Risk and Severity of OSA
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A recent study of elderly men found no evidence that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increased in severity (or prevalence) as a result of vitamin D deficiency.

Released: 24-Nov-2015 11:05 AM EST
Study Finds Genetic Risk Factor Can Lead to Hyperinflammatory Disorder, Death After Viral Infection
University of Alabama at Birmingham

A group of people with fatal H1N1 flu died after their viral infections triggered a deadly hyperinflammatory disorder in susceptible individuals with gene mutations linked to the overactive immune response, according to a study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Released: 23-Nov-2015 9:05 AM EST
Vitamin D Does Not Reduce Colds in Asthma Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Vitamin D supplements do not reduce the number or severity of colds in asthma patients, according to a new study published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Released: 19-Nov-2015 3:05 PM EST
Circulating Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Successfully Cultivated for the Very First Time
Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Wien)

Most cases of small cell lung cancer are only diagnosed after the tumour has already formed metastases. Until now it has not been possible to investigate the reasons for this rapid metastasis, because of a lack of sufficient tumour material from patients. Now, the group of researchers led by Gerhard Hamilton, University Department of Surgery at Medical University of Vienna has succeeded in creating infinitely reproducing tissue cultures. The findings have been published in the leading journal "OncoImmunology".

Released: 18-Nov-2015 9:05 AM EST
Top Accreditor Recognizes California's Top Pediatric Medical Facility for Success in Providing Home Management Plans of Care Given to Asthma Patients
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) announced tthat it has been recognized as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® for 2015 (based on 2014 data) for its childhood asthma care by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.

12-Nov-2015 4:05 PM EST
Early Use of Antibiotic for Recurrent, Severe Lower Respiratory Illness in Children
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among young children with histories of recurrent severe lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI), the use of azithromycin early during an apparent RTI compared with placebo significantly reduced the risk of experiencing progression to severe LRTI, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA.

12-Nov-2015 4:05 PM EST
Study Compares Risk of Anaphylaxis Among Marketed IV Iron Products
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Cunlin Wang, M.D., Ph.D., of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Md., and colleagues studied recipients of intravenous (IV) iron (n = 688,183) enrolled in the fee-for-service Medicare program from January 2003 to December 2013. The study appears in the November 17 issue of JAMA.

16-Nov-2015 4:05 PM EST
For Kids Prone to Wheezing with Respiratory Infections, Early Antibiotics Help​
Washington University in St. Louis

In children whose colds tend to progress and lead to severe wheezing and difficulty breathing — such that they are given oral corticosteroids as rescue therapy — researchers have shown that giving a common antibiotic at the first sign of cold symptoms can reduce the risk of the episode developing into a severe lower respiratory tract illness. The new study, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, appears online Nov. 17 in JAMA.

Released: 16-Nov-2015 10:05 AM EST
Lung Transplant Criteria Biased Against Shorter Patients
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Short people have several health advantages over tall people, including lower risk for cancer and heart disease, and longer life expectancy. But there’s at least one health-related downside to being small: the odds of getting a lung transplant are considerably lower.

10-Nov-2015 3:35 PM EST
Child with Drug-Resistant TB Successfully Treated at Johns Hopkins Children's Center
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center specialists report they have successfully treated and put in remission a 2-year-old, now age 5, with a highly virulent form of tuberculosis known as XDR TB, or extensively drug-resistant TB.

9-Nov-2015 2:05 PM EST
‘Taste Bud’ Biomarker Forecasts Better Post-Surgery Results for Some Chronic Sinusitis Patients
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A simple taste test can identify patients who will have highly successful sinus surgery, researchers from Penn Medicine and the Monell Chemical Senses Center report in this week’s International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology.

9-Nov-2015 11:40 AM EST
Bitter Taste Sensitivity May Predict Surgical Outcome in Certain Chronic Rhinosinusitus Patients
Monell Chemical Senses Center

New research from the Monell Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that physicians may someday be able to use a simple taste test to predict which surgical intervention is best suited to help a subset of chronic rhinosinusitis patients.

9-Nov-2015 5:05 AM EST
Using Copper to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses
University of Southampton

New research from the University of Southampton has found that copper can effectively help to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which are linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

Released: 22-Oct-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Advocating for Raising the Smoking Age to 21
Henry Ford Health

Henry Ford Hospital pulmonologist Daniel Ouellette, M.D., who during his 31-year career in medicine has seen the harmful effects of smoking on his patients, advocates for raising the smoking age to 21. He says the move would help curb access to tobacco products at an early age and lead to reductions in smoking prevalence.

Released: 20-Oct-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Test Catches Asthma in Children Before Symptoms Appear
University of Missouri Health

Nearly 7 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma and thousands more are living undiagnosed, struggling to breathe each day. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that a commonly used pulmonary lung function test can provide early detection of asthma before a child shows any symptoms of breathing problems. This early diagnosis could reduce the number of people who have serious complications of the disease later in life.

1-Oct-2015 8:05 AM EDT
Microscopic View of Coughed-Up Mucus may be New Biomarker for Cystic Fibrosis Progression
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Researchers at the Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute has been studying mucus in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients, and their primary goal was to design inhalable therapeutic nanoparticles that cross the cystic fibrosis mucus barrier in the lung. But the work recently led the researchers to the unexpected discovery that mucus appears to change as the disease progresses; the mobility of these nanoparticles could vary widely in mucus from different patients. They will describe their findings this week during the Society of Rheology’s 87th Annual Meeting, being held Oct. 11-15, 2015.

Released: 8-Oct-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Artificial Lung Demonstrates How Aerosols Move and Behave in Deepest Part of Lungs
American Technion Society

A life-sized artificial human lung is the first diagnostic tool for understanding in real time how tiny particles behave in the deepest part of the human lungs. It could shed light on airborne pollution risks, and be used for the evaluation/design respiratory system drugs.

Released: 29-Sep-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Five Genetic Regions Implicated in Cystic Fibrosis Severity
University of North Carolina Health Care System

If you have two faulty copies of the CFTR gene, you will have cystic fibrosis. But the severity of your disease will depend partly on many other genes. Now, researchers report that five regions of the human genome are home to the genetic variations that play major roles in disease severity.

29-Sep-2015 5:30 AM EDT
Discovery Provides Insight Into Life-Threatening Respiratory Distress in Newborns
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists advance understanding of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver disorder that leaves infants born to affected mothers at risk for severe respiratory distress

17-Sep-2015 8:00 AM EDT
Kids, Asthma and Second Hand Smoke at Home = Twice as Many Hospitalizations
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)

Parents who allow their children with asthma to be exposed to second hand smoke (SHS) at home need to know the risk is high their child will be hospitalized. In fact, the risk is nearly double that for kids with asthma who are not exposed to SHS.

Released: 22-Sep-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Death & Money in the ICU: Pneumonia Findings Surprise Researchers
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

When an older person gets hospitalized for pneumonia, where’s the best place to care for them? New research findings about deaths and health care costs in such patients fly in the face of conventional wisdom – and could change where doctors decide to treat them.

Released: 17-Sep-2015 6:05 PM EDT
Puerto Ricans at Risk for Rare DisorderThat Can Cause Debilitating Lung Disease
Loyola Medicine

A hereditary condition called Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) can cause bleeding problems, low vision, albinism and, in some patients, a debilitating lung disease. HPS affects fewer than 1 in 500,000 people worldwide. But it is more common in certain geographic pockets, especially Puerto Rico.

2-Sep-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Queen’s University Developing New Drug Against Leading Causes of Death in the UK – Sepsis and ARDS
Queen's University Belfast

Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast are developing a potential revolutionary new treatment for Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), which are among the leading causes of death in hospitalised patients in the UK.

Released: 2-Sep-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Columbia Engineering Team Develops Targeted Drug Delivery to Lung
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Researchers from Columbia Engineering and Columbia University Medical Center have developed a new method that can target delivery of very small volumes of drugs into the lung. Their approach, in which micro-liters of liquid containing a drug are instilled into the lung, distributed as a thin film in the predetermined region of the lung airway, and absorbed locally, may provide much more effective treatment of lung disease. (August 31 online Early Edition PNAS)

Released: 1-Sep-2015 12:30 PM EDT
Study in Mice Suggests How Anesthesia May Fight Lung Infections
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In experiments in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have added to evidence that certain so-called “volatile” anesthetics — commonly used during surgeries — may also possess powerful effects on the immune system that can combat viral and bacterial infections in the lung, including influenza and pneumonia.

Released: 1-Sep-2015 10:05 AM EDT
CPAP Works: Common Sleep Apnea Treatment Reverses Brain Function Changes Associated with Heart Disease
American Physiological Society (APS)

CPAP machines are a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, but some people have a hard time adjusting and do not continue the treatment or are reluctant to start. A new study shows that CPAP is an effective sleep apnea treatment, finding that it reverses health changes that result in cardiovascular disease if the disorder is left untreated.

Released: 3-Aug-2015 12:45 PM EDT
Nanoparticles Used to Breach Mucus Barrier in Lungs
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil have designed a DNA-loaded nanoparticle that can pass through the mucus barrier covering conducting airways of lung tissue.

Released: 29-Jul-2015 1:15 PM EDT
Real-Time Imaging of Lung Lesions During Surgery Helps Localize Tumors and Improve Precision
American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS)

New molecular tools are emerging to identify lung adenocarcinomas during pulmonary resection. The results of a proof-of-concept study suggest that lung cancer fluorescent imaging during surgery using targeted molecular agents may soon be a reality. While the methodology still needs refinement, the technique holds the possibility of precise visualization of tumor margins, detection of other tumors or metastases, localization of small malignant ground glass opacities, and accurate identification of lymph nodes containing metastatic cancer cells.

Released: 27-Jul-2015 5:05 PM EDT
Researchers Create Promising New Mouse Model for Lung Injury Repair
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and The Saban Research Institute of CHLA created a dynamic functional mouse model for lung injury repair, a tool that will help scientists explain the origins of lung disease and provide a system by which new therapies can be identified and tested.

Released: 22-Jul-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Diagnostic Test Developed for Enterovirus D68
Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a diagnostic test to quickly detect enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), a respiratory virus that caused unusually severe illness in children last year. The outbreak caused infections at an unprecedented rate, with over 1,000 confirmed cases and 14 reported deaths nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Released: 15-Jul-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Hiding in Plain Sight: Clinical Pathway Uncovers Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Hospitalized Patients
Thomas Jefferson University

A multi-disciplinary group of researchers and physicians at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals have created a clinical pathway to identify obstructive sleep apnea in higher-risk, hospitalized patients.

13-Jul-2015 9:00 AM EDT
New Guidelines for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Released by Leading Respiratory Societies
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Updated guidelines on the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been released by an international group of leading respiratory societies, The new guidelines, issued by the American Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society, the Japanese Respiratory Society, and the Latin American Thoracic Association, were published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Released: 14-Jul-2015 5:05 PM EDT
Study Highlights Pneumonia Hospitalizations Among US Adults
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Viruses, not bacteria, are the most commonly detected respiratory pathogens in U.S. adults hospitalized with pneumonia, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study released today and conducted by researchers at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and hospitals in Chicago and Nashville, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Released: 29-Jun-2015 3:20 PM EDT
First-Ever Possible Treatments For MERS; Researchers Identify Two Promising Candidates
University of Maryland Medical Center

As the South Korean MERS outbreak continues, researchers have discovered and validated two therapeutics that show early promise in preventing and treating the disease, which can cause severe respiratory symptoms, and has a death rate of 40 percent.

Released: 17-Jun-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Study Shows Acute Pulmonary Fibrosis May Respond to Autoimmune Disease Therapy
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Patients with acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis responded well to therapies similar to those used to treat autoimmune diseases, suggesting that autoantibodies may play an important role in patients with acute exacerbations of IPF, a devastating lung disease.

10-Jun-2015 10:05 AM EDT
American Thoracic Society Issues Recommendations on Healthy Sleep
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The American Thoracic Society has released a policy statement with recommendations for clinicians and the general public on achieving good quality sleep and getting an adequate quantity of sleep.

Released: 12-Jun-2015 12:05 PM EDT
UGA Researchers Find Potential Treatment for Fatal Lung Diseases
University of Georgia

Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that the drug triciribine may reverse or halt the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, two respiratory diseases that are almost invariably fatal. They published their findings in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Released: 12-Jun-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Physical Activity Decreases over Time at All Levels of COPD Severity, Leading to Further Decline
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Physical activity decreases substantially over time in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at all levels of severity, according to a new study from researchers in Germany.

11-Jun-2015 6:00 AM EDT
Why Obesity Predisposes to Severe Respiratory Failure
Thomas Jefferson University

A hormone that regulates blood sugar levels may be the key to reducing the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome in obese patients.



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