Archive for 2011/11


In Toddlers, No Difference Found Between Intermittent And Daily Wheezing Treatment

Pediatricians often treat young children who have frequent bouts of wheezing with a daily dose of an inhaled steroid to keep asthma symptoms at bay. But results of a recent study are likely to change that. A group of pediatric asthma researchers nationwide, including at Washington University School of Medicine in St…


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Mobile Clinics, Home Visits Of Little Benefit To Children With Asthma Who Need Care The Most

A new Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study of Baltimore City children with asthma shows that two programs designed to improve disease outcomes among those who may be affected the worst fall short of expectations…


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Increased Risk Of Blood Clots On The Lung For Patients With Autoimmune Diseases

In a nationwide study based on data from the in-patient register, researchers have studied the risk of a blood clot on the lung for patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes. The study showed that 31 of the 33 autoimmune diseases studied were associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism a blood clot on the lung…


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Researchers Test Effects Of Vitamin D On Asthma Severity

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are recruiting volunteers with asthma for a study of whether taking vitamin D can make asthma medication more effective. The study is called VIDA (Vitamin D add-on therapy enhances corticosteroid responsiveness in Asthma). “A number of people with asthma have low vitamin D levels,” says Dr…


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FDA Takes Legal Action Against Dietary Supplement Maker In Pennsylvania

The FDA has for the first time taken legal action against a dietary supplement manufacturer and owner, which has substituted ingredients and products and failed to note the changes on the final product labels. The U.S…


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In Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Increases Airflow During Sleep

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) produced marked dose-related increases in airflow in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients without arousing them from sleep, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center…


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New Paper In The Lancet Describes Proof-of-Concept Study Involving Implantation Of Synthetic Tissue-Engineered Windpipe

Tracheal tumors can be surgically removed, but most are too large for the surgery to be successful by the time they are discovered. Therefore, new therapeutic options are needed. Even in patients with operable tumors, the proportion of complete tumor resection is less than 60%…


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What Is Pepper Spray? Is Pepper Spray Dangerous?

Pepper Spray, or OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray is a lachrymatory agent - a compound that makes the eyes tearful. The active ingredient in pepper spray is also an inflammatory agent that swells up the eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, it causes pain, and often temporary blindness…


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Persistent Asthma Symptoms - Simple Night-time Airflow Device Helps

According to a study published online in Thorax, asthma patients can improve their quality of life and ease persistent asthma symptoms during daytime by using a simple device called Protexo, which filters airborne asthma triggers from the air during sleep…


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FDA Approves First Supplemental Test For Chagas Disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first test for use as an additional, more specific test on human serum or plasma specimens found to be positive for antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). T. cruzi causes Chagas disease, a serious and potentially fatal parasitic infection. The test, called the ABBOTT ESA Chagas [Trypanosoma cruzi (E…


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