Two or three doses of a vaccine against pneumococcal disease (pneumonia, meningitis or a blood stream infection) may be just as effective as the four-dose schedule currently recommended in the USA, according to a paper in this week's issue of The Lancet. The results are important because the four-dose schedule is expensive, and health-care providers and parents prefer that infants receive as few injections as possible. [click link for full article]
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An herbal medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China may improve symptoms of chest pain when used in conjunction with traditional treatments, according to a new systematic review.In several studies included in the review, taking tongxinluo improved angina patients' electrocardiogram results. Overall, though, the review did not provide solid evidence that the medicine routinely benefits cardiac patients with angina. [click link for full article]
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BioWa, Inc. announced today that it is beginning its Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of BIW-8405, BioWa's anti-IL-5 receptor monoclonal antibody (Mab). The Mab is being developed for the treatment of asthma. [click link for full article]
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A common smoking cessation therapy used to help reduce adverse events associated with nicotine withdrawal may actually increase the risk of death for smokers admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). [click link for full article]
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New research suggests that adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are more likely to experience thyroid disease than the general population or other patients with comparable pulmonary disease. A study of 358 patients with PH, seen at Mayo-Clinic Jacksonville over a 14-year period, was performed, and matched controls were randomly selected. Research showed that thyroid disease was present in 31 percent of the PH group, compared with only 15 percent in the control group. [click link for full article]
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Inhaled iloprost administered to children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was shown to be safe and effective in a new study from the University of Colorado/Children's Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital. Eleven children with PAH were treated with inhaled iloprost five to nine times daily, for 3 to 11 months. Researchers compared pretreatment responses with iloprost vs inhaled nitric oxide during cardiac catheterization. [click link for full article]
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A new study shows that inhaled iloprost, recently introduced to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), can lead to acute lower airway obstruction in children. Researchers from both Texas and Denver Children's Hospitals obtained pre- and post-iloprost inhalation spirometry on 12 children diagnosed with PAH. All patients were on oral pulmonary vasodilator therapy during testing. [click link for full article]
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Incarcerated patients (ICP) are more likely to exhibit inadequate patient effort in pulmonary function tests (PFT), when compared with unincarcerated controls, according to a new study. Considering that PFTs are effort-dependent and that there are multiple motivations for ICPs to intentionally perform poorly, researchers from Mount Vernon Hospital in New York, compared PFT scores of 156 ICPs with scores from matched unincarcerated patients. Results showed that 86. [click link for full article]
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New research shows preoperative pulmonary function tests (PFT) with poor results are associated with increased postoperative death and other complications. Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation performed preoperative PFTs on 2,742 patients undergoing primary elective cardiac surgery. Variables related to hospital death, respiratory failure, and long-term mortality, among others, were also analyzed. [click link for full article]
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Stressful life events do not decrease a smoker's chances of quitting the habit, a new study reveals. Researchers from North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems examined the impact of stressful life events in 1,330 smokers being treated for tobacco dependence. Self-reported information, including medical history, quitting obstacles, quit attempts, and current major stressors, were gathered on day one, via questionnaires. [click link for full article]
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