Blog

March 28, 2023

Stanford-Led Research Finds: Asthma, Eczema Are Associated With Higher Risk of Osteoarthritis

A connection found between asthma, eczema, and osteoarthritis indicates that drugs to treat allergic conditions could be used in future studies aimed at slowing the progression of osteoarthritis. Stanford Medicine scientists and their colleagues have found that having asthma or eczema increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis — signaling that there may be an allergic…

March 15, 2023

Understanding Smoking’s Effect on Your Blood Vessels

Among other side effects, smoking does cause blood vessels to constrict. This can lead to sometimes life-threatening events like a heart attack or stroke. Smoking is linked to a wide range of negative health effects, including heart disease. The chemicals in cigarette smoke irritate blood vessels, causing inflammation and swelling. Quitting smoking allows your heart…

March 01, 2023

Study reveals exchange of microbiome bacteria could increase risk of disease

The results suggest that some diseases that are considered non-communicable, such as cancer, could have a component that makes them transmissible by microorganisms in the digestive system. Here’s an unsettling fact: there are more bacterial cells in a person’s body (38 trillion) than human cells (30 trillion). One of the world’s gurus of microbiology, Frederic…

February 14, 2023

CPAP Use May Lower COPD Flare Risk in Patients with Sleep Apnea

Fewer acute exacerbations, and better lung function were seen with a year of regular use People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may experience fewer acute disease exacerbations if they regularly use noninvasive ventilation at night, a small study in Greece reported. “Good” nighttime use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a…

February 01, 2023

Study Finds Gas Stove Smoke Accounts for 12% of Childhood Asthma in the US

A study aims to quantify the burden of current childhood asthma in the United States in association with smoke from indoor gas stoves. A study aimed to quantify the burden of current childhood asthma in the United States in association with smoke from indoor gas stoves. In light of recent growing public concerns over the safety of…

January 16, 2023

COPD and Smoking: What’s the Connection?

Those who smoke are much more likely to develop symptoms of COPD, but secondhand smoke can also be the cause. Treatments are available; in some cases, your lung tissue can regenerate. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of diseases that impact the health of your lungs and your ability to breathe….

January 03, 2023

Study Supports Urging Smoking-Cessation Treatment to Patients In Cancer Care

National study shows cancer centers help patients stop smoking A nationwide team studied 44,000 smokers at 28 cancer centers. The researchers learned that if they could get those patients into evidence-based therapy — such as nicotine replacement, counseling, or both — they could help nearly one in five kick the habit and, in doing so,…

December 15, 2022

What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About RSV Infection

This flu season, as influenza cases pick up and experts weigh concerns about a possible surge in COVID-19 cases, children’s hospitals are already filling up with another viral threat: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The drastic and unusually early spike in respiratory infection is causing long waits for treatment and worries about a “tripledemic” of a surge…