Singing can improve the quality of life of people with lung disease and help reduce their symptoms, according to a gold-standard randomised-controlled trial presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands [1]. The study was presented by Professor Natasha Smallwood from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Professor Smallwood told the Congress: “Chronic breathlessness […]
Category: Respiratory
Eating fruit may reduce the effects of air pollution on lung function
Eating fruit may reduce the effects of air pollution on lung function, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands [1]. The study was presented by Pimpika Kaewsri, a PhD student from the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester, UK. She explains: “Over 90% […]
Tiniest lung tumours that are hardest to reach can be diagnosed with robot-assisted bronchoscope
A cutting-edge bronchoscope that is guided with the help of a robot can reach very small tumours growing in hard-to-reach parts of the lung, according to results of a gold-standard randomised-controlled trial presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands [1]. The robot-assisted bronchoscope also uses a specialised CT scanner to […]
Babies who grow up around dogs may have a lower risk of developing childhood asthma
— No protective effect found for living with cats — Babies exposed to dog allergens in the home have a lower risk of developing asthma by the age of five years, according to research that presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands [1]. The researchers also studied babies’ exposure to […]
Covid infection ages blood vessels, especially in women
A Covid infection, particularly in women, may lead to blood vessels aging around five years, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Blood vessels gradually become stiffer with age, but the new study suggests that Covid could accelerate this process. Researchers say this is important since people with stiffer blood vessels face […]
Ancient practice of blowing through a conch shell could help to treat dangerous snoring condition
People who practised blowing through a conch shell regularly for six months experienced a reduction in their symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to a small randomised controlled trial published in ERJ Open Research [1]. OSA is a common sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during the night due to a blocked airway. It […]
Treatment for sleep apnoea is good for the heart in some patients but bad for others
A treatment commonly used for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), lowers the risk of serious cardiovascular events in some patients but not others, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. People with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Not only […]
Women who work nightshifts are more likely to have asthma
Women who work night shifts are more likely to suffer with moderate or severe asthma compared to women who work in the daytime, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research [1]. The research, which included more than 270,000 people, found no such link between asthma and working nightshifts in men. The study was […]
Scientists find unusual build-up of soot-like particles in lung cells of COPD patients
— As a result, cells grow abnormally large and cause inflammation — Cells taken from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a larger accumulation of soot-like carbon deposits compared to cells taken from people who smoke but do not have COPD, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research […]
Asthma attacks more common for some women taking the progesterone-only pill
— Study sheds light on why women face higher risk of death from asthma — A major study of around 260,000 women shows that taking the progesterone-only contraceptive pill can increase asthma attacks in some women. The research, published in ERJ Open Research [1], shows an increase in asthma attacks in women with asthma who […]