Madrid, Spain: A third of patients with severe asthma are taking harmful doses of oral steroids, according to a study of several thousand people in The Netherlands, presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] The majority of these patients could avoid taking oral steroids by improving their adherence to their other asthma medication […]
Category: Respiratory
Treatment with long term, low dose antibiotic could help people born with chronic lung condition
Madrid, Spain: Taking a low dose of the antibiotic azithromycin for six months reduces symptoms for patients with the chronic lung condition primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] PCD is a rare inherited disease that affects people from birth. It causes coughing, a build-up of […]
Exposure to BPA in the womb linked to wheezing and poorer lung function in children
Madrid, Spain: Pregnant women exposed to higher levels of the commonly used chemical bisphenol A (BPA) are more likely to have children who suffer with wheezing and poorer lung function, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] BPA is one of a group of chemicals called phenols that are used […]
Babies develop fewer respiratory infections when they have well-connected bacterial networks
Madrid, Spain: Microscopic bacteria, which are present in all humans, cluster together and form communities in different parts of the body, such as the gut, lungs, nose and mouth. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown the extent to which these microbial communities are linked to each other across the body, and how these […]
‘Smart shirt’ can accurately measure breathing and could be used to monitor lung disease
Madrid, Spain: A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] Researchers have used the smart shirts, together with a mobile app, to reliably measure breathing […]
Survey of truck drivers finds many suffer from sleep-related breathing disorders
Madrid, Spain: A survey of 905 Italian truck drivers has shown that approximately half suffer from at least one sleep-related breathing problem that potentially can cause drivers to fall asleep at the wheel. In a presentation at the European Respiratory Society International Congress [1], Mr Luca Roberti, President of Apnoici Italiani (the Italian Sleep Apnoea […]
Taxi drivers face highest levels of exposure to black carbon compared to other professional drivers
Madrid, Spain: Professional drivers working in congested cities are exposed to black carbon levels that are on average a third higher than would be experienced at a busy roadside, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] The research also found that taxi drivers experience the highest exposures to black carbon, […]
Air pollution linked to increased risk of infant deaths and reduced lung function in children
Madrid, Spain: Air pollution is linked to an increased risk of death in babies according to a study of nearly eight million live births, to be presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress on Sunday 29 September. [1] Although it is known already that air pollution is associated with infant deaths, it is not […]
Electronic nose can sniff out which lung cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy
An electronic nose that detects chemicals in the breath of lung cancer patients can identify with 85% accuracy those who will or will not respond to immunotherapy, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. The results of the first study to investigate this show that the eNose is […]
Large study suggests painkillers taken during pregnancy are not a cause of asthma in children
A study of almost 500,000 women indicates that taking paracetamol or other painkillers during pregnancy is not responsible for increasing the risk of asthma in children. The research, which uses prescription data on painkillers, does support earlier findings that women taking paracetamol during pregnancy are more likely to have children who develop asthma. However, it […]