Steroid inhalers commonly used to prevent asthma attacks may not work any better than a placebo for many people with mild asthma, according to recent research. Synthetic corticosteroids mimic the steroid hormone cortisol, reducing inflammation in the airways. But the drug targets a type of inflammation that may be found in far fewer patients than…
Parents who smoke cigarettes put their children and others around them at risk for bronchitis, pneumonia and a variety of other ailments. But a new study offers another method to help them quit lighting up. Researchers tested a smoking cessation program in five states in the South and the Midwest, finding it had success in…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a major burden to global health, and it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Intense research has expanded our knowledge of pathophysiology and therapeutic targets and allowed for the personalization of treatment. The following review provides five disease-related COPD updates. 1. Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Bronchoscopic lung…
Stress is a common trigger of asthma symptoms. Stress and anxiety can also cause asthma attacks. Asthma is a condition in which the airways become inflamed, making it difficult to breathe. Symptoms typically come and go with triggers, such as irritants, humid weather, and exercise. According to Asthma UK, 43% of people with asthma report that stress…
Video telehealth rehabilitation reduced the rates that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had to be readmitted within 30 days after they were hospitalized for a pulmonary exacerbation, according to a study. The findings were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in a study titled “Video Telehealth Pulmonary Rehabilitation Intervention in COPD Reduces 30-day…
CVS Health and its foundation are directing their focus on cutting teen tobacco smoking toward a key driver of the worsening problem: e-cigarettes. Already, CVS was in the midst of a five-year, $50 million initiative called “Be the First” in an effort to be the nation’s first tobacco-free generation. Monday, the retailer announced it—along with the…
Tueo Health has developed technology that can alert parents or caregivers about potential asthma-related issues in sleeping children to help better manage the child’s asthma. As part of its continuing efforts in healthcare, Apple has purchased Tueo Health, a small Redwood City based startup focused on monitoring asthma in sleeping pediatric patients. The deal, first reported by CNBC, serves…
Here’s a sobering thought: Nearly half of Americans with severe asthma do not respond to conventional drugs, leaving them with few ways to minimize the often-debilitating symptoms of the chronic disease. But researchers at NHLBI have developed a new treatment that has the potential to dramatically change that: A synthetic peptide that mimics the work…