Seasonal allergies are a nuisance for most people. For people with COPD, however, any extra condition that makes breathing difficult is automatically more serious. According to a 2012 study at the Johns Hopkins Allergy and Asthma Center, people who had COPD and seasonal allergies experienced worsened respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. They were also significantly…
Tobacco ads on television have been banned since 1971. Advertisements on billboards paid brand product placement, cartoons, tobacco brand sponsorships of sporting events and concerts, and advertising and marketing practices targeting individuals under 18 have been illegal since 1998. Yet, kids keep seeing tobacco and e-cigarette ads anyway. In 2020, 79 percent of teenagers reported exposure to tobacco…
Being exposed to pesticides at work increases the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a large U.K.-based study has found. This was true regardless of whether people smoked or had asthma; smoking and asthma are both known risk factors for COPD. “Focused preventive strategies for workers exposed to pesticides can prevent the associated COPD burden,”…
Quit smoking after a heart attack or bypass surgery, or go on 3 different medications? You may see the same longevity benefits if you just quit, scientists say. Smokers who give up cigarettes after a heart attack, bypass surgery, or procedures to unclog blocked arteries may add almost five healthy years to their lives, a…
Agency Supports Development of Complex Generic Drug-Device Combination Product to Improve Competition and Access to More Affordable Medicine This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic of Symbicort (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol for the treatment of two common pulmonary health conditions: asthma in patients six years of age…
E-cigarette and hookah waterpipe users may be at greater risk than tobacco cigarette smokers for cancers of the nose, sinuses, and throat, according to a new study. That’s because vapers and hookah users are more than twice as likely to exhale smoke through their nose as cigarette smokers, who typically exhale smoke through the mouth, the researchers explained. “Our findings suggest that the…
Patients with both heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face a unique set of challenges and impairments compared with those with just one of the diseases, according to a new report. The study, published in Scientific Reports, offers new insights to help physicians better treat patients with overlapping conditions. Corresponding author Audrey Borghi-Silva, PhD, MSc, of the…
Inadequate self-management has been associated with high level of asthma morbidities in adolescents residing in urban areas. Peer-led asthma self-management education for adolescents in urban areas outperformed adult-led programs in enhancing asthma outcomes. These and other findings were described in a randomized clinical trial published in Journal of the American Medical Association. The potential for peer-led…