An association between antibiotic treatment in the first week of life and atopic asthma in childhood found in a long-term study suggests an immune-mediated effect, possibly from early disturbance of gastrointestinal microbiota, according to researchers. Emma Goksor, MD, PhD, University of Paediatrics, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden and colleagues explained that disturbed microbiota can affect…
The “largest and most comprehensive observational study to date” provides no evidence of an association between serum vitamin D concentrations and risk for subsequent lung cancer and thus does not support the idea that vitamin D is protective. In a study by an international research group, pooled analysis of circulating vitamin D concentrations in prediagnostic…
Researchers from the French Institute of Health and Medical Research are reporting that outdoor air pollution is causing more widespread asthma symptoms. According to the study, long-term exposure to traffic and ozone significantly increases the risk of asthma attacks, and also increases the need for asthma medication and treatment. “It is very well known that…
Regular aspirin use was associated with a more than 50% reduction in emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression in an elderly cohort over a decade in a longitudinal analysis of data from a large lung study. The association was seen across aspirin doses and was greatest in older study participants with significant airflow obstruction. “These…
The journey to better women’s heart health starts with having more data, said Nanette Kass Wenger, MD, MACC, MACP, FAHA, professor of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, during the Simon Dack Keynote Lecture, which opened the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. Years before “Go Red for Women” and the…
Moving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients from hospitals to their homes could improve the sustainability of Canada’s health system while improving individual outcomes, says the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI). Data from health systems participating in the INSPIRED study conclude that offering Canadian COPD patients the right support services in their homes improved…
The economic cost of asthma in the United States is nearly $82 billion a year, federal health officials report. That figure includes medical expenses and costs associated with work and school absences and deaths. However, the true cost of asthma is probably underestimated because the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study did not…
The natural decline in lung function over a 10-year period was slower among former smokers with a diet high in tomatoes and fruits, especially apples, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, suggesting certain components in these foods might help restore lung damage caused by smoking. The researchers found…