Respiratory

Researchers found no evidence that initiation of inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy is associated with fewer wheezing/asthma attacks than therapy with a short-acting ß-agonist alone in preschool children with recurrent wheezing/asthma.

While there is widespread acceptance of the coexistent asthma–AR and the associated burden among physicians, a new study highlighted the need for increased healthcare practitioner communication and awareness to improve the appropriate treatment and management of these 2 coexistent conditions.

A new study examining the public health burden of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease in the United States has found that all-cause mortality, adjusted for other factors, more than doubled with NTMLD compared with an age- and sex-matched control group.

How long a person with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) stops breathing may be a better predictor of mortality risk from OSA in both women and men than the number of times they stop breathing, a new study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine concludes.

A next generation DNA sequencing study offers a streamlined protocol that integrates the genomic portrait of pathogen, microbiome, and host transcriptome for a more accurate diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections.

A study published in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that in addition to elevated blood eosinophil counts, baseline clinical factors can help identify patients who would potentially be responsive to benralizumab (Fasenra), among patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma with eosinophilic inflammation.

A new study in Pediatrics concludes that 23%-27% of new asthma cases in children with obesity is directly attributable to obesity, and without overweight and obesity as a factor there would be 10% fewer cases of pediatric asthma in the United States.

Cognitive behavioral therapy delivered by respiratory nurses can reduce anxiety and is cost-effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

There are 5 FDA-approved monoclonal antibody treatments that affect the pathways involved in either the allergic or type 2 inflammatory phenotypes of asthma, and these 5 drugs are the focus of a new report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER).

A new study, published in the International Journal of COPD, concludes that the increase in endothelial microparticles and various microparticles in the systemic circulation that accompanies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can lead to disease exacerbation and could be used as early biomarkers on disease progression.

The FDA today announced new actions aimed at reversing the increasing trend of youth nicotine use and combating youth access to e-cigarettes. Though the agency stopped short of an expected ban on flavored e-cigarettes, it will move to outlaw menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, 2 products that disproportionately harm African Americans.

A new study by Children’s National Health System researchers suggests that the majority of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) may not achieve blood concentrations of antibiotics sufficiently high enough to effectively fight bacteria causing pulmonary exacerbations.

Facing the threat of impending US regulatory action, Juul Labs said Tuesday it would voluntarily stop selling certain flavors of its flavored e-cigarettes in retail stores on a temporary basis, but would continue to sell them online, and plans to improve its age-verification system.

An estimated 25,000 Americans who are at high risk for developing lung cancer would be saved annually through low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans, but only 5% of people who qualify are screened. In an effort to increase the number of people getting screened, the American Lung Association (ALA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) unveiled a Lung Cancer Screening Implementation Guide during Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

A new study in Chest has identified a correlation between electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and asthma symptoms in youth. The association was independent of cigarette smoking and ENDS use and exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke.

A study published in the journal mBio has found a correlation between regions where mycobacteria are most prevalent in showerhead biofilm and regions where nontuberous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections are the most prevalent, providing more evidence about the important role played by showerheads in transmission of NTM lung infections in the United States and Europe.

A study that examined mortality among immunocompromised patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure found that high-flow oxygen therapy did not significantly decrease 28-day mortality compared with standard oxygen therapy.

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which seeks to put a spotlight on the leading cause of cancer death. Here are 5 things to know about the disease.

The mixture of flavorants and propylene glycol (PG) in electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) leads to the formation of acetals that have been shown to activate irritation receptors, predisposing users to the same potential dangers as using traditional cigarettes, a new study said.

Electronic cigarettes can cause detrimental effects to human health and should be reconsidered as a smoking cessation tool, based on results from a recent study.

Patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTMLD) have a significant greater risk of hospitalization and higher total healthcare expenditures than matched control patients without NTMLD.

The FDA’s approval of dupilumab, already approved for severe eczema, for asthma makes it the second biologic for the incurable lung disease.

Neuromuscular blocking agents, or muscle relaxants, are often used in surgery to prevent muscles from moving when a patient is unconscious. A recent study found that the use of neuromuscular blockers during general anesthesia is associated with an increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications.

With a decision from the FDA for its use in moderate-to-severe asthma expected by the end of the week, the biologic dupilumab showed positive results from a pivotal phase 3 trial for inadequately controlled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Treating lung conditions like asthma in pregnant women is a challenge, as it requires knowledge of both the safety of treatments during pregnancy as well as understanding the risks of the disease for both the woman and the infant, noted a review of a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) information system for prescribers.