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ATS releases new clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, management of LAM

The American Thoracic Society and the Japanese Respiratory Society have published new clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung disease that primarily affects women of child-bearing age.

15 Sep 2016

Acute COPD exacerbations linked to long-term decline in lung function

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, are associated with significant long-term lung function loss, according to research published online, ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

8 Sep 2016

Study examines link between PTSD and cognitive impairment in WTC responders without head injury

New research published by the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring confirms the connection between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cognitive impairment - in this case, among those who helped with search, rescue and cleanup efforts following the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks.

30 Aug 2016

Experts underscore need to tackle rising global problem of stem cell medical tourism

Stem cell medical tourism and unproven stem cell interventions are growing and concerning issues for patients afflicted with lung disease.

11 Aug 2016

ATS releases guidelines to help pediatricians evaluate infants with recurrent, persistent wheezing

The American Thoracic Society has issued clinical practice guidelines to help pediatricians and pediatric pulmonologists evaluate infants with recurrent or persistent wheezing.

2 Aug 2016

Novel community-produced biological network models hold potential in drug discovery and toxicology

A new set of community-produced biological network models has been shown to allow a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying a range of diseases.

26 Jul 2016

Pulmatrix announces positive results from Phase 1 study of novel dry powder formulation in COPD patients

Pulmatrix, Inc., today announced positive topline data from a Phase 1 pilot pharmacokinetic bioavailability trial of PUR0200. PUR0200 is a novel dry powder formulation of a currently marketed once daily bronchodilator, formulated in the company's proprietary iSPERSETM dry powder delivery technology.

22 Jul 2016

Obesity is linked with premature death, particularly in men

Being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of premature death, according to the largest ever study into obesity and death.

14 Jul 2016

Exposure to London's 1952 smog linked to increased incidence of childhood, adult asthma

London's Great Smog of 1952 resulted in thousands of premature deaths and even more people becoming ill.

8 Jul 2016

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in diet can confer substantial health benefits

Consuming higher amounts of unsaturated fats was associated with lower mortality, according to a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

5 Jul 2016

Advances in inhaled drug delivery: an interview with Dr Robert Clarke

Delivering drugs to the lungs via inhalation has a number of potential advantages over traditional routes of administration like pills or injections. For treating pulmonary diseases, the obvious logic we are applying is topical delivery to the airways via inhalation.

1 Jul 2016

Depression reduces COPD maintenance medication adherence in older adults

A recent study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society found that in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were newly diagnosed with COPD, adherence to maintenance medications decreased with new episodes of depression.

24 Jun 2016

New HET wearable system may help track user’s wellness to predict asthma attacks

Researchers have developed an integrated, wearable system that monitors a user's environment, heart rate and other physical attributes with the goal of predicting and preventing asthma attacks.

2 Jun 2016

Flu jab linked to reduced hospitalisation risk in heart failure patients

The flu jab is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalisation in patients with heart failure, according to research presented today in a late breaking trial session at Heart Failure 2016 and the 3rd World Congress on Acute Heart Failure.

24 May 2016

Overnight extubations in ICU patients linked to higher mortality

Adult patients who were admitted to U.S. intensive care units had higher mortality if they were extubated overnight. The results reported at the ATS 2016 International Conference may discourage hospital administrators from expanding the practice of overnight extubations in ICUs, which the lead author noted are rapidly being transformed to provide continuity of care.

18 May 2016

American Thoracic Society and Sunovion release landmark survey of pulmonologists’ attitudes and practices with inhalation devices for COPD

The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion) today announced the results of a survey of pulmonologists and pulmonology fellows to determine physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management, with particular attention to the use of hand-held small volume nebulizers. A small volume nebulizer is a device powered by air that aerosolizes medications for delivery to patients.

16 May 2016

Medical error is the third biggest cause of death in the US, according to experts

After analyzing medical death rate data over an eight year period, Johns Hopkins researchers found that more than 250,000 people die in the U.S each year as a result of medical error, making it the third biggest cause of death after heart disease and cancer.

5 May 2016

Green vegetation near homes plays important role in reducing mortality

Women live longer in areas with more green vegetation, according to new research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Women with the highest levels of vegetation, or greenness, near their homes had a 12 percent lower death rate compared to women with the lowest levels of vegetation near their homes. The results were published Apr. 14, 2016 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

18 Apr 2016

Cigarette smoking, viral infections may reduce effectiveness of COPD symptom-reliever medication

New study backs up observations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients showing reduced effectiveness of symptom-reliever medication (β2-adrenoceptor agonists) in flare-ups linked to cigarette smoking and infection with viruses such as influenza.

11 Apr 2016

Study finds evidence of lung function abnormalities in light-use hookah smokers

A study of light-use hookah or waterpipe smokers found evidence of lung function abnormalities, including marked changes in cells lining the airways. The study, "Pulmonary Abnormalities in Young, Light-use Waterpipe (Hookah) Smokers," was published recently in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

6 Apr 2016