News briefs from the journal Chest, August 2007
...Patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and diastolic heart failure may find relief in the form of diuretics, according to a new study. Italian researchers treated 15 patients hospitalized with severe OSA, hypertension, and diastolic heart failure, with intravenous diuretics. Patients were treated twice daily for 3 days, and polysomnography was used to assess apnea severity befo...News briefs from the journal Chest, June 2007
... New research suggests that changes in atmospheric pressure, which often occur during storms, may be related to idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax (ISP) or collapsed lung. During a 4-year period, French and Italian researchers studied the relationship between ISP occurrence and meteorologic conditions in Bologna, Italy. Atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature were obtained for each day...News briefs from the journal Chest, March 2007
... Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, a new study reveals that ICS may not be as effective in treating the disease as previously thought. In a pooled study, researchers from the University of Minnesota and Oregon Health and Science University, along with researchers from Canada, United Kingdom, and Europe an...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, December 2006
... New research suggests that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are unable to copy certain drawings involved in neuropsychological testing have an increased mortality rate. Italian researchers tracked 134 patients with stable COPD, age 68.7 8.5 years, for a median of 32 months. Patients underwent clinical testing, including spirometry and a 6-minute walk test, and n...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, November 2006
... New research shows that patients who are HIV positive may be at an increased risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine investigated the prevalence of COPD among 1,014 HIV-positive and 713 HIV-negative men enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort 5 Site Study. Results showed that the prevalence of COPD was 10 percent in...... ... (Monday, October 23, 2006, 4:30 PM EST)... A new study reveals that, despite lack of evidence, obese patients are often diagnosed with asthma. Researchers at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey studied 20 patients, all of whom had a diagnosis of asthma, but none of whom exhibited any spirometric evidence of airway obstruction. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and bro...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest: October 2006
... People who have a family history of lung cancer are at nearly double the risk of developing the disease themselves, according to new research. In a large-scale, population-based cohort, Japanese researchers studied the association between family history of lung cancer and subsequent risk. Self-administered surveys on various lifestyle factors were administered to 102,255 middle-aged and olde...Newsbriefs from the journal CHEST, September 2006
... A new study shows that obese, non-allergic women are at a greater asthma risk than their male-counterparts. Researchers from the University of Ottawa administered a survey to over 85,000 Canadians that included questions about self-reported asthma, allergy history, height, and weight. After controlling for covariates, results showed that obese women had an 85 percent increase in the risk of...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, August 2006
...A new study shows that patients facing end-of-life (EOL) care do not have adequate knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and that a large population show little interest in discussing EOL preferences. Canadian researchers administered face-to-face questionnaires to 440 hospitalized patients with end-stage cancer or advanced medical diseases. One hundred and sixty family members...Newsbriefs from the journal CHEST, June 2006
...Patients who have aversions to certain odors also may have increased tendency to cough, shows a new study. Swedish researchers administered the Chemical Sensitivity Scale for Sensory Hyperreactivity (CSS-SHR) questionnaire to 103 patients to determine their self-reported odor sensitivity. Researchers then determined patients' cough sensitivity, the tendency for cough to be provoked, using the...News briefs from Heart Rhythm 2006
... Cocaine intoxication serves as a protective agent against life-threatening arrhythmias that may result from electrical stun guns. The drug was found to reduce a healthy heart's vulnerability of developing ventricular fibrillation by 1.5 to two times above the study's baseline safety margin. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic used a custom-built device to deliver a neuromuscular-incapacitati...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, May 2006
...New research shows that current or former alcoholics have a high risk for developing Streptococcus pneumoniae (S pneumoniae), a bacteria known to cause pneumonia. Researchers from Spain and Germany compared the etiology, antibiotic resistance of S pneumoniae, severity, and outcome of patients with alcohol abuse with nonalcoholics hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Among pat...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, April 2006
...A new study finds that habitual snoring in women is strongly tied to body mass index (BMI) and age, with snoring prevalence reaching its peak in women ages 50 to 59. Swedish researchers surveyed 6,817 women regarding snoring habits and potential risk factors for snoring, including BMI, smoking habits, physical activity, alcohol and medication use, and menopausal and hormonal status. The total...Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, March 2006
... New research shows that many adults with asthma view their condition as temporary, believing they have asthma only when they have symptoms. Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, and Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, surveyed 198 adult patients hospitalized with asthma regarding their asthma beliefs and behaviors and characteristics related to their beliefs. More...News Briefs from the January issue of CHEST
... New data reveal that the asthma drug salmeterol may lead to an increased risk of respiratory- and asthma-related deaths in African American patients. In the Salmeterol Multicenter Asthma Research Trial (SMART), researchers from GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, CO, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, and Wake Forest Univer...News briefs from the journal Chest, December 2005
... A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish, canola oil, and walnuts, can have anti-inflammatory effects and improve the exercise capacity for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For two years, Japanese researchers followed 32 patients with COPD on an omega-3 fatty acid-rich diet (treatment group) and 32 patients with COPD on a non-omega-3 fatty ac...News briefs from the journal CHEST, November 2005
... Patients' beliefs, experiences, and behaviors regarding disease and treatment can predict their adherence to medications for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers from Monash University and Frankston Hospital, Victoria, Australia, surveyed 276 patients (mean age 71 years), with chronic lung conditions, about their beliefs, experiences, and adherence behaviors pertaining t...News briefs from the journal Chest, July 2005
...... In the first study to assess a connection between cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and asthma, in the same population, over the same time period, researchers found that patients who are diagnosed with asthma are at a significantly higher risk of a diagnosis of GERD. Researchers from Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom examined data taken from the UK General Practice Rese...News briefs from the journal CHEST June 2005
...... Patients with severe emphysema can achieve considerably greater improvements in bone mineral density (BMD) by undergoing lung volume reduction surgery than from rehabilitation, according to a new study. Researchers in Rome, Italy selected, 70 male patients with severe emphysema, who were advised to undergo lung volume reduction surgery. Forty patients decided to undergo surgery, while t...... ...Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) routinely stop low-dose aspirin therapy 7 to 10 days before the operation to restore normal platelet hemostatic function, but a new study suggests that it may be more beneficial to continue taking aspirin until the surgery. Israeli researchers studied 32 patients with coronary artery disease about to have CABG. Fourteen patients...... ...In a new study, researchers found that patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), who are unable to walk when admitted to the hospital, have a greater risk of death while in the hospital. In a study of 3,043 patients with CAP admitted to six hospitals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, researchers from the University of Alberta found that patients in a wheelchair at time of hospital ad...