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• 2011-07-28 New study finds cancer-causing mineral in US road gravel- Vehicles traveling along gravel roads in Dunn County, North Dakota stir up clouds of dust containing high levels of the mineral erionite. Those who breathe in the air every day are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, new research shows. Erionite shares similar physical similarities with asbestos and when airborne, its fibers can lodge in people's lungs.
  
• 2011-07-28 Researchers identify mechanism underlying COPD disease persistence after smoking cessation- Cigarette smoke exposure fundamentally alters airway tissue from people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the cellular level, laying the groundwork for airway thickening and even precipitating precancerous changes in cell proliferation that may be self-perpetuating long after cigarette smoke exposure ends, according to Australian researchers.
  
• 2011-07-28 Family history a risk factor for COPD- Researchers compared 821 COPD cases with 776 control smokers from the COPD Gene Study, capturing parental smoking and COPD histories, along with environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Their findings noted a strong risk factor for COPD when a family COPD history exists
  
• 2011-07-28 CT shows changes in lungs associated with COPD flare-ups- Using computed tomography, researchers have identified two types of structural changes in the lungs of patients with COPD that are associated with frequent exacerbations, or episodes when symptoms suddenly worsen
  
• 2011-07-22 Breastfeeding and asthma prevention - Feeding a baby on only breast milk and for up to 6 months after birth can reduce their risk of developing asthma-related symptoms in early childhood, according to new research
  
• 2011-07-22 New device for obstructive sleep apnea being tested - An experimental treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is being tested at the Medical University of South Carolina. An implanted device stimulates muscles to keep the airway from closing off.
  
• 2011-07-22 Erlotinib a better treatment for lung cancer in some- New research finds that the targeted cancer drug erlotinib nearly triples the amount of time lung cancer patients survive without a recurrence - 13.1 months versus 4.6 months for chemo group - and has fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy in those with EGFR mutation
  
• 2011-07-22 Acid Reflux Drugs May Help in Pulmonary Fibrosis- For patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the use of medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease may improve survival timeFor patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the use of medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease may improve survival time
  
• 2011-07-21 E-cigarette or drug delivery device?- Devices marketed as "electronic cigarettes" are in reality crude drug delivery systems for refined nicotine, posing unknown risks with little new benefits to smokers, according to tobacco control experts
  
• 2011-07-20 Household smoke increases severity of bronchiolitis in babies- A study by the University of Liverpool has found that babies admitted to hospital with bronchiolitis from a household where a parent smokes are twice as likely to need oxygen therapy and five times as likely to need mechanical ventilation as babies whose parents do not smoke.
  
• 2011-07-20 Increased Mortality for Isolated Rural Patients With COPD- Patients with COPD living in isolated rural areas have increased mortality from COPD exacerbations compared to those living in urban area
  
• 2011-07-19 UK announces COPD and asthma strategy- Government outcomes strategy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma is intended to improve the lives of patients with breathing difficulties by coordinating the efforts of the NHS, social care and voluntary organisations
  
• 2011-07-18 Lung Transplantation - concise clinical review- This review provides an overview of the current status of lung transplantation, highlighting both the many advances that have taken place and the challenges that remain
  
• 2011-07-15 Research links telomere length to emphysema risk- Telomeres, the body's own cellular clocks, may be a crucial factor underlying the development of emphysema
  
• 2011-07-15 Parents May Often Be Unaware Of Asthmatic Children's Condition- Parents of children with asthma do not always recognize insufficient treatment of their children's condition. Parents who worry about asthma medication's side effects are also less likely to keep their children's symptoms well under control
  
• 2011-07-14 Placebo Effect Powerful in Asthma- Stable asthma patients reported the same degree of symptom improvement with inhalation of albuterol as occurred with a placebo inhaler or sham acupuncture
   
  
• 2011-07-14 Hypoallergenic baby formula does not prevent allergies- Despite the formula being recommended in public health guidelines, a new study found there was no benefit in using hypoallergenic (partially hydrolysed whey) formula to prevent allergies in high-risk infants up to seven years of age, compared to a conventional cow's milk based formula
• 2011-07-14 Lung Checks No Help for CF Babies- Invasive monitoring for lung colonization in infants with cystic fibrosis doesn't improve their outcomes, randomized trial results showed
• 2011-07-12 New study may lead to quicker diagnosis, improved treatment for fatal lung disease- Twenty percent of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension suffer with the fatal disease for more than two years before being correctly diagnosed and properly treated
• 2011-07-12 Study Shows "Hypoallergenic" Dogs Shed Normal Levels Of Allergens- It's widely believed that hypoallergenic dogs produce less dander and saliva and shed less fur, making them a healthier choice for people with allergies. But a study found no scientific evidence that hypoallergenic dogs produce fewer allergens
• 2011-07-12 CPAP reverses many macrovascular/microvascular abnormalities- Researchers found that among those with sleep apnea, blood supply and function improved after the participants received 26 weeks of CPAP
• 2011-07-12 Placebo Effects and the Common Cold- Active and placebo pills were compared with no pills at all. Participants randomized to the no-pill group tended to have longer and more severe illnesses than those who received pills. For the subgroup who believed in echinacea and received pills, illnesses were substantively shorter and less severe, regardless of whether the pills contained echinacea
• 2011-07-12 Indicators of pediatric pneumonia in the emergency department- Clinical data can predict risk for radiographic pneumonia among children seen in the pediatric emergency department. Hypoxia (oxygen saturation ≤92%) was the strongest predictor of pneumonia. Other significant predictors of pneumonia were history of chest pain, focal rales and fever duration
• 2011-07-11 Higher body mass index may induce asthma among adolescent females - Increased BMI exaggerates the risk of acquiring asthma in symptomatic adolescent females but not in adolescent males.
• 2011-07-11 Obese patients less likely to develop and die from respiratory distress syndromes after surgery- Researchers have discovered that obese adults undergoing surgery are less frequently developing respiratory insufficiency (RI) and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and that when they do, they are less likely to have fatal outcomes. The researchers say they have several theories of how obesity protects patients from mortality associated with RI/ARDS, and pinpointing the protective mechanism could help them develop interventions to help non-obese patients avoid adverse outcomes.
• 2011-07-11 Allergies Start in Baby's First Month- Neonatal levels of the urinary marker eosinophil protein-X predicted allergic sensitization, nasal eosinophilia, and eczema during the early school years in a prospective study
• 2011-07-08 Mississippi Law Requires Asthma Action Plan For Affected School Children- The Mississippi Legislature passed a new law that calls for an Asthma Action Plan to be on file for every child diagnosed with the disease for the 2011-2012 school year. The action plan includes asthma severity classifications, medication protocol and emergency contact information, and it "must be developed and signed by parents and a physician
• 2011-07-04 Gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori protects against asthma- Infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma, immunologists have demonstrated in an animal model. Their results confirm the hypothesis recently put forward that the dramatic increase in allergic diseases in industrial societies is linked to the rapid disappearance of specific micro-organisms that populate the human body
• 2011-07-04 Delayed access to tertiary care associated with higher death rate from pulmonary fibrosis- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis-- scarring and thickening of the lungs from unknown causes -- is the predominant condition leading to lung transplantation in the US. Columbia University Medical Center researchers confirmed that delayed access to a tertiary care center for IPF is associated with a higher risk of death
• 2011-07-04 New Inhaler Drug for COPD Approved- A new beta2-adrenergic agonist drug, indacaterol inhalation powder (Arcapta Neohaler), has won FDA approval as long-term maintenance therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• 2011-07-04 CDC issues report on COPD in the USA- The prevalence of COPD in USA was stable from 1998 through 2009. Just over six percent of women now have COPD compared to just over four percent of men. COPD replaced stroke as the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer
• 2011-07-04 Anticholinergics Linked to Mental Decline in Seniors- The use of medications with anticholinergic effects was associated with significant cognitive decline and increased mortality among older adults, a longitudinal British study found
• 2011-07-04 Stop-Smoking Drug Linked to Heart Risks- Users of the smoking-cessation drug varenicline had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular events, a meta-analysis of randomized trials showed
  
• 2011-07-04 Many more lungs suitable for transplantation- Four patients now have new lungs thanks to a purpose-built machine used for the first time worldwide by Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Acquired for research at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, the new machine will contribute to more lung transplants in the long term
• 2011-07-04 Herbal medicine treatment reduces inflammation in allergen-induced asthma- A traditional Korean medicine, SO-CHEONG-RYONG-TANG that has long been used for the treatment of allergic diseases in Asia, alleviates asthma-like pulmonary inflammation via suppression of specific chemokines or proteins

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