February 2018

Asthma linked to infertility but not among women taking regular asthma preventers

Women with asthma who only use short-acting asthma relievers take longer to become pregnant than other women, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal. However, the study of more than 5,000 women in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland also shows that women with asthma who use long-acting asthma preventers conceive […]

Shorter time between first medical contact to restoring blood flow in heart attack patients is linked to saving more lives: experts call for immediate action

Heart experts are calling for immediate action following new research that shows every minute counts for patients who suffer the most severe type of heart attack. The study shows numbers of deaths rise steadily and rapidly the longer the time between patients’ first contact with a medical professional and when they are treated in hospital […]

Research suggests vapers are vulnerable to pneumonia

The vapour from e-cigarettes seems to help pneumonia-causing bacteria stick to the cells that line the airways, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal [1]. The study included experiments with cells, mice and humans. It showed that e-cigarette vapour had an effect similar to the reported effects of traditional cigarette smoke or particulate […]

Ibuprofen taken in the first three months of pregnancy may harm the future fertility of baby girls

Pregnant women who take the pain killer ibuprofen in the first 24 weeks of their pregnancy may be reducing the store of eggs in the ovaries of their daughters. Researchers have found the first evidence in human ovarian tissue that exposure to ibuprofen during the crucial first three months of foetal development results in a […]

Fitness in childhood linked to healthy lungs in adulthood

Children who are fitter and whose fitness improves during childhood and adolescence have better lung function as young adults, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal. Good lung function in early adult life is believed to lower the risk of developing chronic lung disease later in life, but until now, there […]