A UK study revealed that the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) can accurately evaluate exacerbation severity in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study is published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Dr…

According to a new Australian study published online before he print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the lung clearance index (LCI) is a sensitive, non-invasive marker of early lung disease in young children with cystic fibrosis (CF)…

An assay which measures the activity of 14 genes in lung cancer tumors can accurately predict who will respond well to surgery and who will probably die within five years, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, reported in The Lancet…

An international study of asthma, published in the early online version of the European Respiratory Journal, has for the first time, included the number of incidents caused by air pollution and shows that the costs for childhood asthma have risen sharply…

The total cost of asthma due to traffic-related air pollution is much higher than previous estimates, according to new research. The study, published online ahead of print in the European Respiratory Journal, has revealed the true extent of the healthcare costs associated with living close to a busy road…

The experience of daily positive affect — a mild, happy feeling — and self-affirmation helps some patients with chronic diseases, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and asthma, make better decisions about their health…

Accelerated growth in the first three months of life, but not fetal growth, is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in young children, according to a new study from The Generation R Study Group at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands…

There is no difference in early measures of pulmonary function, immunologic status or coagulation status after fresh versus standard issue single-unit red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic. “Longer duration of RBC storage is thought to increase the risk of transfusion-related pulmonary complications,” said Daryl J…

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in awake, non-intubated patients may be an effective strategy for bridging patients to lung transplantation, according to a new study from Germany. “As waiting times for donor organs continue to increase, so does the need for bridging strategies for patients with end-stage lung disease awaiting transplantation,” said Marius M…

Over many generations, people living in the high-altitude regions of the Andes or on the Tibetan Plateau have adapted to life in low-oxygen conditions. Living with such a distinct and powerful selective pressure has made these populations a textbook example of evolution in action, but exactly how their genes convey a survival advantage remains an open question…