Asthma

AI-powered stethoscope for home monitoring of exacerbations

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AI-powered stethoscope for home monitoring of exacerbations

A recent Annals of Family Medicine study explores the use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-aided stethoscope to monitor exacerbations of asthma in adults and children remotely.  Study: Home Monitoring of Asthma Exacerbations in Children and Adults With Use of an AI-Aided Stethoscope. Image Credit: OMfotovideocontent / Shutterstock.com Background Asthma affects between 10-12% of children and generally involves chronic inflammation of … Read more

Traffic-related air pollution raises blood pressure, study finds

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Traffic-related air pollution raises blood pressure, study finds

For more than a century, American cities have been sliced and diced by high-traffic roadways. Interstate highways and wide arterials are now a defining feature of most metropolitan areas, their constant flow of cars spewing pollution into nearby neighborhoods. Researchers have only just begun to understand the health risks posed by all that pollution. Long-term … Read more

Study shows link between parental stress and exacerbated asthma symptoms in children

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Study shows link between parental stress and exacerbated asthma symptoms in children

University of Queensland research has shown a link between parental stress stemming from financial hardship and exacerbated asthma symptoms in children. Dr K M Shahunja from UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health led a study that analyzed the data of more than 3,900 children collected over 14 years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. … Read more

Grieving mother recalls heartbreaking last conversation she had with her daughter, 22, who died from an asthma attack

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Grieving mother recalls heartbreaking last conversation she had with her daughter, 22, who died from an asthma attack

A grief-stricken mother has revealed what she and her late-daughter discussed before her untimely passing. Amy Greenwood, 22, from Skelmersdale was discovered unconscious by her partner after experiencing an asthma attack. The mother-of-two was taken to Wigan hospital the following day, on October 21, 2022, where her family had to make the agonising decision to … Read more

Can your baby’s gut bacteria predict food allergies?

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Can your baby’s gut bacteria predict food allergies?

In a recent review published in the journal Nutrients, researchers in Italy investigated the influence of gut microbiota changes during the first 1000 days of life on the onset of food allergies (FAs) in children. Background  Allergic diseases, encompassing conditions like asthma, FAs, and eczema, have seen a global uptick, especially in children. These diseases … Read more

Mixtures of bacteria in day care facilities linked to wheezing in young children

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Mixtures of bacteria in day care facilities linked to wheezing in young children

Particular combinations of bacteria found in dust at day care facilities have been linked to wheezing in young children in a study presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. Wheezing in young children is often an early sign of asthma. Children may spend many hours in day care each week and … Read more

Urban living linked to increased risk of respiratory infections in young children

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Urban living linked to increased risk of respiratory infections in young children

Young children growing up in towns and cities suffer from more respiratory infections than those who grow up in the countryside, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. A second study, presented at the Congress and published in Pediatric Pulmonology today (Monday), shows that factors such as attending … Read more

Pregnant women living in polluted areas more likely to have smaller babies, study finds

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Pregnant women living in polluted areas more likely to have smaller babies, study finds

Women exposed to air pollution give birth to smaller babies, according to research that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. The research also shows that women living in greener areas give birth to bigger babies and this may help counteract the effects of pollution. There is a strong … Read more

Respiratory patients are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change

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Respiratory patients are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change

People living with lung conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), face even greater risks from climate change, according to an expert report published today (Monday) in the European Respiratory Journal. The report brings together evidence on how the effects of climate change, such as heatwaves, wildfires and flooding, will exacerbate breathing … Read more

Maternal high-fat diet may alter airway nerves in offspring, leading to asthma

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Maternal high-fat diet may alter airway nerves in offspring, leading to asthma

New research points to a novel potential mechanism behind eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy and asthma in the offspring. This correlation has been previously documented, but the cause was unclear. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. It was chosen as an APSselect article … Read more