Father's obesity in puberty doubles the risk of asthma in his future offspring
A new study shows that boys who are obese in pre-puberty have an over two times higher risk of having children with asthma than those who are not.
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Cheap, quick test identifies pneumonia patients at risk of respiratory failure or sepsis
Researchers have now identified specific fragments of genetic material that play a role in the development of respiratory failure and sepsis in pneumonia patients. The findings could enable doctors to test quickly for these biological markers when a patient is admitted to hospital with pneumonia, so that they could anticipate complications and provide more intensive support and monitoring.
Read moreOne third of patients with severe asthma are taking harmful doses of oral steroids
A third of patients with severe asthma are taking harmful doses of oral steroids, according to a study of several thousand people in The Netherlands.
Read moreThree-in-one inhaler therapy can improve lung function and reduce asthma attacks
Patients with severe asthma which is not controlled with standard treatment — leaving them at risk of severe asthma attacks — could benefit from using a single inhaler combining three, instead of 2 therapies, according to two phase 3 randomized controlled trials with over 2,500 patients across 17 countries.
Read moreBabies have fewer respiratory infections if they have well-connected bacterial networks
Microscopic bacteria, which are present in all humans, cluster together and form communities in different parts of the body, such as the gut, lungs, nose and mouth. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown the extent to which these microbial communities are linked to each other across the body, and how these networks are associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections in babies.
Read more'Smart shirt' can accurately measure breathing and could be used to monitor lung disease
A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to new research.
Read moreAfrican American children respond differently to asthma medications
African Americans suffer asthma more often and more severely than Caucasian patients. However, clinical trials that have shaped treatment guidelines have included few African Americans. A new report demonstrates a shortcoming of that history. Researchers report that African American children respond differently than African American adults and Caucasian adults and children to step-up therapies for inadequately controlled asthma.
Read moreSome high-cholesterol genes differ between countries
Some of the genes that predict the risk of high cholesterol don't apply to people from Uganda the same as they do in European populations, finds a new study.
Read moreFor young athletes, sport specialization means increased risk of injury
Specialization in a chosen sport is associated with a higher volume of activity — and it could increase young athletes' risk of sustaining both traumatic- and overuse-based injuries, new study says.
Read moreSupportive relationships in childhood leads to longer lives
Individuals raised in families with higher socioeconomic status were more optimistic in midlife, and in turn, lived longer. Those who experienced more psychosocial stressors, such as parental death, frequent moves and harsh discipline, tended to encounter more stressful life events in midlife, and had greater risk of dying early.
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