Filters close
21-Oct-2008 12:50 PM EDT
Depression May Increase Exacerbations, Hospitalizations in COPD
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

It is well known that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently suffer from depression and anxiety, but according to new research, depression and anxiety may actually cause increased hospitalizations and exacerbations.

22-Oct-2008 12:55 PM EDT
Even Mild Sleep Apnea Increases Cardiovascular Risk
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

People with even minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease because of impaired endothelial function and increased arterial stiffness, according to a study from the Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine in the UK.

3-Oct-2008 2:15 PM EDT
New Light on Link between Snoring and Cognitive Deficits in Children
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

About two-thirds of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)"” snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)"” have some degree of cognitive deficit, but the severity of the cognitive deficit has been notoriously difficult to correlate to the severity of the SDB, suggesting that other important issues may be at play, or that the right factors were simply not being measured.

3-Oct-2008 2:20 PM EDT
Withdrawal of Life Support Often an Imperfect Compromise
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) doctors seeking to balance the complex needs of their patients and the patients' families may make an imperfect compromise, withdrawing life support systems over a prolonged period of time. This practice is much more common than previously believed, and is also surprisingly associated with higher satisfaction with care-at least among surviving family members.

24-Sep-2008 4:50 PM EDT
Childhood Wheezing with Rhinovirus Can Increase Asthma Odds 10-fold
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Infants who experience viral respiratory illnesses with wheezing are known to be at increased risk for developing asthma later during childhood. Using new molecular techniques to identify different viruses, researchers now believe they have pinpointed the biggest culprit: rhinovirus (RV).

24-Sep-2008 5:05 PM EDT
Steroids Not as Effective in Obese Asthma Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Glucocorticoids, the primary controller medication for asthma, are 40 percent less effective in overweight and obese asthma patients than in those of normal weight, according to researchers at National Jewish Health, in Denver. The study also identified a potential mechanism involved in the resistance, which suggests therapeutic targets for future medications.

24-Sep-2008 5:10 PM EDT
Beta-blockers Reduce Mortality in Patients with COPD after Vascular Surgery
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

In the first study to directly examine the effects of beta-blockers on surgical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers have found that, contrary to previous thought, beta-blockers significantly reduce mortality in COPD patients.

Released: 29-Sep-2008 11:00 AM EDT
Victory for ATS: Domestic TB Bill Passes Final Hurdle in Congress
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Today, legislation strengthening tuberculosis (TB) control in the U.S. passed its final hurdle in the U.S. Senate. Unanimous passage of the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act follows a similar unanimous vote in the House on September 24, and brings to fruition the American Thoracic Society's leadership efforts on TB in coalition with the National TB Controllers Association and Stop TB USA.

10-Sep-2008 10:20 AM EDT
COPD? Eat Your Veggies
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

You know it's good for you in other ways, but could eating your broccoli also help patients with chronic lung disease? It just might. Broccoli is known to contain a compound that prevents the degradation of a key component that protects lungs against oxidative damage and has been linked to the development and severity of chronic lung disease.

10-Sep-2008 10:20 AM EDT
Erectile Dysfunction Related to Sleep Apnea May Persist, but Is Treatable
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

For sufferers of sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction (ED) is often part of the package. New research indicates that ED in cases of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may be linked to the chronic intermittent hypoxia"”oxygen deprivation"” (CIH) that patients with OSAS experience during episodes of obstructed breathing.

27-Aug-2008 12:00 PM EDT
Smoking During Pregnancy a “Double-Edged Sword” in SIDS
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Premature infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy may be at even higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than preemies whose mothers did not smoke, according to new research out of the University of Calgary. In the first-ever experimental study to compare the breathing reflexes of preemies of smokers versus non-smokers, researchers found that babies whose mothers had smoked showed a number of signs of impaired respiratory function.

27-Aug-2008 12:00 PM EDT
Physical and Sexual Abuse Linked to Asthma in Puerto Rican Kids
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Children who are physically or sexually abused are more than twice as likely to have asthma as their peers, according to a recent study of urban children in Puerto Rico. In fact, physical and sexual abuse was second only to maternal asthma in all the risk factors tested, including paternal asthma and indicators of socioeconomic status.

27-Aug-2008 12:00 PM EDT
Heavy Breathing-- An Obscure Link in Asthma and Obesity
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

There is a strong link between obesity and asthma and as the prevalence of both conditions has been increasing steadily, epidemiologists have speculated that there is an underlying condition that connects the two. But one long-suspected link, the systemic inflammation associated with obesity, has been ruled out by a recent New Zealand study that found no evidence of its involvement.

27-Aug-2008 1:35 PM EDT
Flu Shot Does Not Reduce Risk of Death
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The widely-held perception that the influenza vaccination reduces overall mortality risk in the elderly does not withstand careful scrutiny, according to researchers in Alberta. The vaccine does confer protection against specific strains of influenza, but its overall benefit appears to have been exaggerated by a number of observational studies that found a very large reduction in all-cause mortality among elderly patients who had been vaccinated.

12-Aug-2008 2:00 PM EDT
Hope for Patients with COPD
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

For the first time, a drug therapy appears to reduce lung function loss in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 42 countries.

12-Aug-2008 2:00 PM EDT
Asthma in Boys May Be Just a Phase, But For Girls It May Be There To Stay
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Boys may be more apt than girls to have childhood asthma, but, when compared to girls, they are also more likely to grow out of it in adolescence and have a decreased incidence of asthma in the post-pubertal years.

13-Aug-2008 12:00 PM EDT
Measures to Assess Potential Lung Injury During Ventilation Inadequate
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Ventilator-induced injury to the lungs can contribute to prolonged respiratory failure and even death among patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Even post-operative patients with previously healthy lungs, who require temporary mechanical ventilation, are at risk of ventilator-induced lung injury. Although such injuries have been reduced tremendously over just a few decades ago, a new study suggests, they have much further to go.

29-Jul-2008 10:40 AM EDT
Strategies to Control TB Outdated, Inadequate
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The standard regimens to treat tuberculosis (TB) are inadequate in countries with high rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. In countries with high rates of MDR-TB, patients are nearly twice as likely to fail their initial treatment than those in countries with low rates, according to a new analysis of World Health Organization (WHO) data.

29-Jul-2008 10:45 AM EDT
No Substitute for Hard Work: Creatine Supplementation Does Not Improve Exercise Outcomes in COPD Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Creatine, a popular nutritional supplement renowned for enhancing athletic performance and muscle strength, does not improve exercise outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study. The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study provided the most powerful evidence to date that the effect of creatine (Cr) supplementation was negligible at best among these patients.

10-Jul-2008 12:30 PM EDT
Consumption of Nut Products During Pregnancy Linked to Increased Asthma in Children
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Expectant mothers who eat nuts or nut products like peanut butter daily during pregnancy increase their children's risk of developing asthma by more than 50 percent over women who rarely or never consume nut products during pregnancy, according to new research from the Netherlands.

10-Jul-2008 12:35 PM EDT
Low-Sodium Advice for Asthmatics Should be Taken with a Grain of Salt
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Following a low-sodium diet does not appear to have any appreciable impact of asthma control as once thought, according to new research.

25-Jun-2008 9:00 AM EDT
Predicting TB Outbreaks Based on the First Two Cases
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Outbreaks of tuberculosis (TB) may be able to be identified by looking at certain characteristics of the first two patients, according to new research. If the first two patients are diagnosed within three months of each other, live in urban areas, and if one or both are of sub-Saharan African origin, there is a 56 percent chance that the two cases will lead to a large outbreak of TB, whereas if the patients exhibit none of those characteristics, the odds are just one percent.

11-Jun-2008 1:10 PM EDT
Road Pollution Blamed for Higher Allergy Risk in Kids
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

New evidence blames traffic-related pollution for increasing the risk of allergy and atopic diseases among children by more than fifty percent. What's more, the closer the children live to roads, the higher their risk.

11-Jun-2008 1:10 PM EDT
Serum Sodium Predicts Mortality Ten Times Higher in PAH Patient
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)"”chronically high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs"”whose serum sodium levels are low (called hyponatremia, or HN) have a very poor chance of survival and a high rate of right-heart failure (RHF), according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania.

28-May-2008 3:50 PM EDT
Smoking During Pregnancy Increases Risk of SIDS
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A new study provides the most direct evidence that there exists a causal link between smoking during pregnancy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Clinicians have long considered prenatal cigarette smoke exposure a major contributing risk factor for SIDS, but researchers had not proved a casual relationship.

28-May-2008 3:50 PM EDT
U.S. Soldiers in High-Tuberculosis Areas Face New Epidemic: False Positives
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

U.S. Army service members are increasingly deployed in regions of the world where tuberculosis (TB) is rampant, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and the military now faces a growing medical problem. But it is not TB itself that is on the rise"”instead, the problem lies with the growing number of "pseudoepidemics," or clusters of false-positives for TB.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
ICU Physicians Less Likely to Discuss Prognoses with African American Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

An important study raises concern about the way intensive care physicians approach patients and families facing serious end-of-life medical decisions. Based on interviews with more than 1,200 ICU physicians at five major medical centers across the country, researchers conclude that physicians are less comfortable discussing end-of-life issues and do it less frequently with African American patients and their families than with Caucasian patients and families.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Glycemic Stability May be Important Key to Recovery from Critical Illness
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Widely varying blood glucose levels may pose as great a threat, or possibly a greater threat, to critically ill patients as high, but steady, glycemic levels, according to researchers in Saudi Arabia, who will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Studies Provide Insights into Lung Disease and Lung Function in Young Adults
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Two studies being presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21 provide insights into lung disease and lung function in young adults. One links low levels of a protein called adiponectin in fat cells to an increase in asthma risk in young women. A second finds that high levels of a protein called ICAM-1 is associated with lower lung function.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Health Factor from Day One
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in very young children may cause some of the adverse cardiovascular health consequences seen in older children and adults with the condition, according to researchers in Israel, who will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Iraq War Service: A Risk Factor for Bronchiolitis?
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A large group of soldiers returning from Iraq have been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, a disease affecting the small airways of the lung, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center physicians who will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Low-Intensity Case Management Cuts COPD-Related Hospital Visits in Half
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A new study has found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are at high risk for hospitalization or emergency room visits from exacerbations or complications benefit from simple low-intensity case management.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
First-Born Babies’ Higher Asthma and Allergy Rates Due to Pregnancy Conditions
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

First-born children are at higher risk of developing asthma and allergy because of different conditions they experience in the uterus, according to new research from the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom, which will be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Farm Moms May Help Children Beat Allergies
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Mothers exposed to farms, particularly to barns and farm milk, while pregnant confer protection from allergies on their newborns, according to a group of German researchers, who will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Non-Invasive Oxygen Therapy Eases Final Hours, Days for Lung Cancer Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

For patients with end-stage lung cancer, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) may be more effective at reducing breathing difficulty than standard oxygen therapy, and has the added advantage of reducing patients' reliance on morphine, thus improving lucidity in their final days, according to research presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20. For patients at this stage, even small comforts can be the difference between a peaceful or an agonizing death.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
First, Do No Harm: Limiting Resident Work Hours Does Not Harm ICU Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Limits on the number of hours that medical residents are allowed to work in a day does not negatively affect outcomes in even the most sensitive patient population: critically ill patients in intensive care units. Moreover, there has been a decrease in mortality among ICU patients in both teaching and non-teaching hospitals alike during the work-hours reform.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Possible Biological Explanation for C-Section-linked Allergies and Asthma Found
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Scientists believe they may have identified a biological explanation for the link between cesarean-section delivery and risk of allergy and asthma in childhood. They will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
COPD Patients Benefit More from Pulmonary Rehab in Earlier Stages
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are in their final years of survival do not get the same benefits from pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) as patients who have more years left to live"”regardless of their age, complicating illnesses or lung function, according to new research funded by the Veteran's Administration, which will be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Rifampin: Latent TB Treatment Saves Time Money and Lives
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A new way to treat patients with latent tuberculosis (TB), who are infected with TB but without symptoms, can effectively treat it in less than half the time and at a lower cost than the current standard treatment, according to researchers who conducted a multi-center, randomized controlled trial. The results will be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
New Treatment Gives Hope for Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may have a new treatment option, according to researchers in Japan.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Pulmonary Rehab On Call: TELEHEALTH Offers Dial-up Help for the Rural and Remote
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A program that delivers pulmonary rehabilitation via video-conferencing technology, the internet and other emerging technologies to patients who live too far from respiratory therapy centers to make the twice-weekly trip improves their clinical condition, outcome and quality of life in just eight weeks, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Oxidative Stress May Predict Later Lung Trouble in Young Adults
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Markers of oxidative stress may predict future lung trouble, according to new research to be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Silver-Coated Endotracheal Tube Dramatically Reduces Resistant Infections
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A silver-coated endotracheal tube may reduce infections with highly resistant bacteria over traditional tubes by nearly half, according to the results of a large randomized trial to be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Monday, May 19.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Blood Test for Lung Cancer May be Possible
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A simple blood test may be able to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages with unprecedented accuracy, according to new research to be presented at American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Will Lung Cancer Recur? A Genetic Test May Provide the Answer
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The goal of developing reliable genetic tests to guide lung cancer treatment has taken a step forward. Researchers at Columbia University recently evaluated the ability of five high-risk genetic profiles, or signatures, to predict the likelihood that cancer would recur in patients whose non-small cell lung cancer was caught early and surgically removed. They will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with CPAP May Lower Blood Pressure
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may also lower blood pressure among hypertensive adults, according to researchers in Spain, who will present his findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Sunday, May 18.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Causes Earlier Death in Stroke Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Stroke victims who have obstructive sleep apnea die sooner than stroke victims who do not have sleep apnea or who have central sleep apnea, according to Swedish researchers, who will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Monday, May 19.

14-May-2008 12:00 PM EDT
Observations From Space: NASA Environmental Data and Lung Disease
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

NASA gathers a tremendous amount of data on the environment that can be helpful in understanding lung disease. In a session at the ATS 2008 International Conference called "Observations From Space: A Unique Vantage Point for the Study of the Environment and Possible Associations with Disease Occurrence," scientists from NASA, the CDC and the University of Alabama will present research results from NASA projects involving observations of Earth.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
Depression and PTSD Symptoms in Caregivers of Lung Transplant Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among caregivers of deceased lung transplant patients are four-to-five times more prevalent than in the average population, according to researchers who analyzed the stress levels of caregivers, as well as their perceptions of the transplant recipients' quality of dying and death.

13-May-2008 1:00 PM EDT
For Children with Sickle Cell Disease, Lung Disease is Part of the Package
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have a significantly sharper decline in lung function with age when compared to other children of the same race and age. Furthermore, that loss of function appears to be linked to a restrictive rather than obstructive pattern, contrary to previous research that has focused on obstructive or asthma-like patterns in loss of lung function with sickle cell disease.



close
0.24293