Lung Disease News and Research

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Mediterranean diet found to halve the risk for lung disease

French researchers say eating a Mediterranean diet halves the risk of serious lung disease such as emphysema and bronchitis.

15 May 2007

Tens of thousands of Americans die each year from secondhand tobacco smoke

While the health risks associated with indoor secondhand smoke are well documented, little research has been done on exposure to toxic tobacco fumes outdoors.

4 May 2007

Infliximab fails to improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms

A promising anti-inflammatory drug failed to improve symptoms of moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, in a large, multi-center trial.

2 May 2007

FDA advisory committee supports Advair 500/50 in reducing COPD exacerbations

An Advisory Committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unanimously agreed that GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus 500/50 (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

2 May 2007

Evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine revealed in children with cystic fibrosis

In a study of children with cystic fibrosis, French researchers found evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine that was not caused by either nutritional status or lung disease.

2 May 2007

Liver center leading record number of studies to tackle hepatitis C

While many research institutions are suffering from funding cuts, Drs. Bruce R. Bacon and Adrian M. Di Bisceglie are chugging away with their usual tenacity.

27 Apr 2007

Mutations in a gene that helps regulate cell division linked to inherited form of fatal lung disease

Mutations in a gene that helps regulate cell division are responsible for some inherited cases of a fatal lung disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Apr 2007

Drug therapy can reduce preterm births and decrease lifetime medical costs

Researchers from MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH found that treating expectant mothers who have had previous spontaneous preterm births with 17 Alpha Hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P) and reducing the incidence of another preterm birth would consequently reduce both short-term and lifetime medical costs in offspring by $2 billion per year.

27 Apr 2007

Diets high in bacon, ham and hot dogs bad for the lungs

A study by researchers in the U.S. has found that cured meats such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs can cause lung damage.

17 Apr 2007

Newborn screening programmes for cystic fibrosis should be adopted internationally

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis saves on treatment costs and would offset the actual costs of the screening programme.

8 Apr 2007

Rural hospitals shown to provide quality care for patients with heart attacks

Contrary to some previous studies, rural hospitals in Iowa do provide quality care for patients with heart attacks and do not have higher death rates when compared to urban hospitals, report University of Iowa researchers.

5 Apr 2007

New hope for emphysema sufferers

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are now studying an investigational treatment that may offer a significant new, minimally-invasive option for those suffering from advanced widespread emphysema.

5 Apr 2007

TGF-beta found to be a major player in causing bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, in collaboration with scientists from the Genzyme Corporation, have identified a potential treatment for a chronic lung disease affecting premature infants.

4 Apr 2007

Genetic culprits of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified the genetic culprits that trigger a hereditary form of a fatal lung disease.

30 Mar 2007

Combatting chronic obstructive lung disease

You are more likely to contract chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) if you have a low income and below average education.

22 Mar 2007

Task force recommends greater use of exercise testing in chronic disease

Exercise testing can be a powerful tool for diagnosing chronic heart and lung conditions and measuring responses to treatment, according to new research published in the European Respiratory Journal.

27 Feb 2007

Newborns with respiratory distress should be evaluated for primary ciliary dyskinesia

Reviewing published reports, Ferkol and Margaret Leigh, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), found that neonatal respiratory distress was a common clinical symptom of PCD, a chronic airway disease that affects about 1 in 15,000 children.

20 Feb 2007

High-dose progesterone treatment helps at-risk pregnant women avoid premature delivery

In this study, 45 women who experienced premature labor (before 37 weeks gestation) were randomly divided into treatment and observation groups. The treatment group received twice-weekly 341-mg doses of progesterone until week 36.

11 Feb 2007

Spring births increase likelihood of preterm birth

Women who become pregnant in spring are more vulnerable to preterm birth than those who conceive in other seasons, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.

5 Feb 2007

Different treatments may be needed for chronic asthma, depending on whether it results from allergies or lung infections

Researchers have now identified a particular gene that influences how severe a M. pneumoniae infection may be, which in turn suggests that a different strategy might be needed for treating asthma resulting from this and similar lung infections rather than allergies.

31 Jan 2007