Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are both health conditions involving the respiratory system and can lead to difficulty breathing. There is some overlap between the two conditions and it is estimated that approximately 40% of patients with COPD also suffer from asthma. However, there are some distinct differences between the two conditions, in…
The debate about e-cigarettes and the relationship to tobacco products has moved up a notch following a new study about teen vapers in the U.S. The study shows a link to tobacco products. Vaping (the use of electronic cigarettes) is seen by many, including those who market the products, as a safer alternative to smoking…
Pre-existing asthma may be a strong predictor of future chronic migraine attacks in individuals experiencing occasional migraine headaches, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC), Montefiore Headache Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Vedanta Research. The findings were published online in November in the journal Headache, a publication of the American…
In a recent study published in Respiratory Magazine, patients with COPD and other chronic respiratory disorders who received music therapy in conjunction with standard rehabilitation saw an improvement in symptoms, quality of life, and psychological well-being when compared to patients who received only rehabilitation. The results of the study, conducted by researchers at The Louis…
Study suggests willpower isn’t the only player In this New Year, it is time to get smoking stopped! And perhaps our genes can help us understand how. In a recent study, it has been found that some smokers have much more difficulty kicking the habit than others. Now, a new review of prior research identifies…
Children who are raised in households with dogs or farm animals during their first year of life may have a lower risk of asthma a few years later, a new study suggests. In the study, the researchers looked at early exposure to dogs and farm animals and the rate of asthma among about 377,000 preschool-age…
If post-bronchodilator spirometry is required for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), why doesn’t every single primary care physician do it? A University-based Primary Care Clinic (PCC) analysis revealed that only 19% of patients with COPD had undergone spirometry testing, which determines how well the lungs work by measuring oxygen flow. With COPD…
While smoking is linked to an increased risk of developing diabetes, this risk appears to drop over the long term once cigarette use stops, a review of evidence suggests. Researchers analyzed data on almost 5.9 million people in 88 previous studies examining the connection between smoking, second-hand smoke exposure and diabetes. They estimated that roughly…