Lung Disease News and Research

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Air pollution may lead to interstitial lung diseases

More research must be done to investigate the role of air pollution on the epigenome in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), in order to develop strategies that minimize the effects of these pollutants, according to a new article published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

1 Jul 2020

Genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 human lung cell infection

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 attempts to make sense of this data to identify viral genes that are explicitly expressed in the cells infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This could help reveal new therapeutic targets.

26 Jun 2020

Study identifies world's first genetic and environmental risk factor for common childhood epilepsy

A new study of childhood epilepsy has identified the world's first environmental risk factor for the disease - maternal smoking in pregnancy, and discovered a new genetic association with the condition, pointing to potential new treatments for the disease.

24 Jun 2020

Wildfire smoke has immediate effects on the body's respiratory and cardiovascular systems

Exposure to wildfire smoke affects the body's respiratory and cardiovascular systems almost immediately, according to new research from the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health.

24 Jun 2020

Pandemic forced insurers to pay for in-home treatments. Will they disappear?

After seven days as an inpatient for complications related to heart problems, Glenn Shanoski was initially hesitant when doctors suggested in early April that he could cut his hospital stay short and recover at home — with high-tech 24-hour monitoring and daily visits from medical teams.

23 Jun 2020

How to stay safe in summer as states ease coronavirus restrictions

As states lift some restrictions designed to protect public health against furthering the spread of COVID-19, people across the country are wondering how to safely engage in activities this summer such as gathering with friends, traveling and going to the beach.

22 Jun 2020

ACE2 and pattern recognition receptor genes increase with age

A recent study by researchers in California and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows that advancing age is associated with increased expression of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) genes and ACE2 receptors, possibly accounting in part for the increased severity of the disease in older adults.

17 Jun 2020

Study: Nearly 10% of patients continue to use opioids more than 90 days after heart surgery

Nearly 10 percent of patients who are prescribed opioid medications following heart surgery will continue to use opioids more than 90 days after the procedure, according to a new study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

17 Jun 2020

Researchers develop a simple tool for making mouse models of COVID-19

Until there are effective treatments or vaccines, the COVID-19 pandemic will remain a significant threat to public health and economies around the world. A major hurdle to developing and testing new anti-viral therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 is the lack of good, widely available animal models of the disease.

16 Jun 2020

Inhaled steroids reduce ACE2 expression in COPD lungs

A new study by scientists at Imperial College London, University of Newcastle and Prokarium, and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 examines the role played by inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the risk of acquisition of COVID-19 infection by COPD patients.

15 Jun 2020

Molecular approach can improve diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious problem associated with a wide variety of lung diseases, which can lead to right ventricular dysfunction and death.

15 Jun 2020

COVID-19 mouse model could accelerate the search for treatments, vaccines

The global effort to quickly develop drugs and vaccines for COVID-19 has been hampered by limited numbers of laboratory mice that are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

10 Jun 2020

Undersized airways increase risk of COPD regardless of smoking habits

A new study of lung anatomy may explain why 1 in 4 cases of COPD--a lung disease most often linked to smoking--occur in people who have never smoked, a fact that has long perplexed researchers.

9 Jun 2020

Tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation

Now, a new study by researchers from the University of Michigan and published on the online preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 shows that the cytokine inhibitor tocilizumab could have a favorable effect on survival in the most severely infected patients who require mechanical ventilation. This needs to be confirmed by clinical trials.

7 Jun 2020

Novel disease may lead to a better understanding of cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is the most frequent severe inherited disorder worldwide. Every year, hundreds of families are confronted with this diagnosis - and to date, there is no cure for this disease that mainly affects the respiratory system.

5 Jun 2020

European database investigates COVID-19 outcomes in patients with kidney failure

Experience throughout the world, including in Europe, shows that advanced age is the most important risk factor for death in COVID-19: people aged over 70 years are over 10 times more likely to die compared to those aged below 50.

5 Jun 2020

High uric acid levels protect against lung function decline in women

Researchers at Kumamoto University in Japan have discovered that uric acid, an antioxidant, protects against declining lung function from age or lung disease, especially in women.

5 Jun 2020

Scientists map how SARS-CoV-2 infects the airways

Now, in a significant scientific study, a team of researchers at the University of North Carolina Health Care (UNC) have mapped how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), infects the nasal cavity, the airways, and down to the lungs.

3 Jun 2020

Does smoking increase COVID-19 risk?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to smolder and smoke in many parts of the world, with over 100,000 cases, and more than 3,000 deaths reported every day. Many factors are responsible for the higher risk of infection in certain specific population subgroups are known.

2 Jun 2020

Study looks at delirium in critically ill COVID-19 patients

A new study published on the online preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports on the high incidence of delirium in COVID-19 patients in intensive care. This highlights the urgent need to predict, prevent, and manage delirium and to cut it short in patients with COVID-19.

2 Jun 2020