September 2017

Having an older sibling poses risk of serious flu for babies and toddlers

Children under two years are more likely to be admitted to hospital with influenza if they have an older sister or brother, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal. Flu can be serious in very young children because it can cause lung infections and breathing difficulties. It can also cause a very high […]

Treating asthma or COPD with steroid inhaler increases the risk of hard-to-treat infections

Older people who use steroid inhalers for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to suffer particular bacterial infections, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal. Worldwide, asthma and COPD affect hundreds of thousands of people and they are commonly treated with steroid inhalers to reduce symptoms and […]

Offspring of female mice exposed to e-cigarette vaping have increased risk of allergic asthma

Researchers found that maternal e-cigarette vaping was linked to an increased risk of allergic asthma in offspring. The study was carried out in mice, but Dr Pawan Sharma, Chancellors Fellow and Research Leader in the Airways Disease Group at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, told the European Respiratory Society International Congress: “These findings highlight that […]

HRT can slow decline in lung function for middle-aged women

Milan, Italy: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can slow the decline in lung function in middle-aged women, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. Evidence from a study that followed 3,713 women for approximately 20 years from the early 1990s to 2010, showed that those who took long-term HRT (for two […]

Asthma linked to increase in fertility treatment

Milan, Italy: Women with asthma are more likely to have fertility treatment before giving birth than non-asthmatic women, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. Among 744 pregnant asthmatic women enrolled in the Management of Asthma During Pregnancy programme at the Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark, and who gave birth between […]

Asthma symptoms can be improved by diet and exercise in non-obese patients

Milan, Italy: Non-obese people with asthma could reduce their symptoms and improve their quality of life through diet and exercise, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2017. Asthma is a common and long-term condition affecting around one in ten people in the western world. The majority of patients rely on daily […]

E-cigarettes linked to increased arterial stiffness, blood pressure and heart rate in humans

Milan, Italy: New research has shown for the first time that e-cigarettes with nicotine cause a stiffening of the arteries in humans. This has important implications for the use of e-cigarettes, as arterial stiffness is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes in later life. Presenting the research at the European Respiratory […]

Children with asthma are being prescribed unnecessary antibiotics

Milan, Italy: Children with asthma are more likely to be prescribed antibiotics even though there is no evidence that they need them any more than children without asthma, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2017. Overuse of antibiotics is leading to a rise in drug-resistant infections and unnecessary use in […]

Nurses’ regular use of disinfectants is associated with developing COPD

Milan, Italy: Regular use of disinfectants is linked to a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to new research looking at incidence of the disease in over 55,000 nurses in the USA. Dr Orianne Dumas (PhD) from INSERM, Villejuif, France, told the European Respiratory Society International Congress today (Monday) that certain tasks […]

Most common e-cig refills contain respiratory irritants, and people who smoke and use e-cigs are more likely to experience respiratory symptoms

Milan, Italy: 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. One study examined 122 of the most commonly sold e-cigarette liquids in nine European countries and found that all contained at least one substance classified as a […]