Most common e-cig refills contain respiratory irritants, and people who smoke and use e-cigs are more likely to experience respiratory symptoms
Two new studies presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress highlight the risks associated with using e-cigarettes, especially for those who also smoke conventional cigarettes.
Pneumonia or sepsis in adults associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Pneumonia or sepsis in adults that results in hospital admission is associated with a six-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the first year, according to research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Cardiovascular risk was more than doubled in years two and…
Steroids May Do More Harm Than Good in Some Cases of Severe Asthma
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and UPMC have uncovered the molecular mechanism underlying corticosteroid resistance in severe asthma. The new findings have important clinical implications, suggesting that corticosteroids, the main treatment for asthma, may worsen the disease in this…
Researchers pinpoint how diesel fumes could cause ‘flare up’ of respiratory symptoms
Scientists have shown how diesel fumes trigger respiratory reflexes which could potentially worsen underlying conditions, such as asthma.The study, led by researchers at Imperial College London, is the first to demonstrate a mechanism by which diesel exhaust particles, a major component of air pollution in…
Taming the Trouble with Inhalers: A New Way to Treat Asthma
A common treatment for asthma, which is the most prevalent chronic childhood disease, requires use of an inhaler. But a big problem with inhalers, used to deliver steroids and other drugs in an aerosol form, is that children often don’t operate them properly. Parents also…
Inhaled Steroids May Increase Pneumonia Risk in People with Asthma
Use of inhaled corticosteroids was linked with an increased risk of pneumonia in a study of individuals with asthma. In the study of 152,412 asthma patients (of whom 1928 had a pneumonia event during follow-up), current use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with an 83%…
Reducing the Duration of Antibiotics Does More Harm than Good When Treating Ear Infections in Young Children
In a landmark trial conducted at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researchers have demonstrated that when treating children between 9 and 23 months of age with antibiotics for ear infections, a shortened course has worse clinical…