Key Points: Tobacco smoke can be mainstream, side stream or second hand, all of which have a severely negative impact upon asthma symptoms Smoking remains the single biggest cause of premature mortality in the UK Shisha (waterpipe) use is dangerous. Every hour of shisha use is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes Tobacco smoking by the…
The economic burden of asthma is estimated to be nearly $81 billion in the 28 countries of the European Union. A new study by the University of Kent, in England, showed interventions by community pharmacists improve asthma control in patients leading to major cost benefits. The economic burden of asthma is estimated to be nearly…
Globally, World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 235 million people suffer from asthma. It also indicates that asthma is not just a public health problem for high income countries, but it occurs in all countries regardless of the level of development. The study further shows that over 80 per cent of asthma deaths occur in…
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….
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…
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study the impact of diagnostic error on outcomes for pulmonary patients and the use of lung-function testing in primary care. More than 30 million adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed…
Fewer Americans are dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not black women and the middle-aged, a new government report shows. Between 2000 and 2014, there was a 12 percent overall drop in deaths from the progressive lung disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Report co-author Hanyu Ni said…