It’s never too late to quit smoking. Even after heart surgery, research has shown that quitting smoking reduces the risk of a heart attack, stroke or death. Yet only about one-third of smokers hospitalized for heart attacks and other serious heart problems received proven smoking-cessation therapy while they were in the hospital, according to research…
Asthma affects hundreds of millions of people across the world. New research links the gut’s microbes with the risk of developing asthma, and identifies a specific fungus in babies that might increase the risk of childhood asthma. For the first time, a study links a yeast found in babies’ guts with the risk of…
A large-scale meta-analysis using more than 10,000 participants concludes that vitamin D supplementation may help to prevent a major cause of global death – acute respiratory tract infections. Acute respiratory tract infections are responsible for 10 percent of ambulance and emergency room visits in the United States. Including anything from the common cold to pneumonia…
“What’s the weather going to be today?” It’s a frequent question that has larger implications for those with lung disease. Whether it’s summer or winter, rainy or windy, people with lung disease should pay attention to the weather report as sudden changes in the weather as well as extreme weather conditions can provoke lung symptoms….
Antipsychotics have been tied to acute respiratory failure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Taiwanese researchers reported. In a population-based, case-crossover study, more COPD patients had filled a prescription for antipsychotics 2 weeks before having acute respiratory failure compared with a control period several months prior (11.7% versus 8.8%), Meng-Ting Wang, PhD, of…
With New Year’s resolutions kicking into high gear in the month of January, why not help your patients truly stop smoking in this New Year. Especially with your pregnant patients, it is even more important to support a high quality smoking cessation program in our daily practices. Women who smoke during pregnancy may be more…
Many people believe electronic cigarettes (also called e-cigarettes or vapes) are a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes. But with a new report from the U.S. surgeon general calling e-cigarette use “a major public health concern,” this may not be the case. The FDA reports an alarming 900% rise in e-cigarette use among high school students…
As we have found with the recent deaths in Australia in the news from “thunderstorm asthma” it is important to remember that storms can trigger your patient’s asthma and allergies that could, in severe situations, kill a patient. Asthma and thunderstorms Thunderstorm asthma is a potentially dangerous mix of pollens, weather conditions and rain that…