The vapour from e-cigarettes seems to help pneumonia-causing bacteria stick to the cells that line the airways, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal [1]. The study included experiments with cells, mice and humans. It showed that e-cigarette vapour had an effect similar to the reported effects of traditional cigarette smoke or particulate […]
Ibuprofen taken in the first three months of pregnancy may harm the future fertility of baby girls
Pregnant women who take the pain killer ibuprofen in the first 24 weeks of their pregnancy may be reducing the store of eggs in the ovaries of their daughters. Researchers have found the first evidence in human ovarian tissue that exposure to ibuprofen during the crucial first three months of foetal development results in a […]
Fitness in childhood linked to healthy lungs in adulthood
Children who are fitter and whose fitness improves during childhood and adolescence have better lung function as young adults, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal. Good lung function in early adult life is believed to lower the risk of developing chronic lung disease later in life, but until now, there […]
Mediterranean diet may help women receiving assisted reproduction treatment to achieve successful pregnancies
New research has found that women who follow a “Mediterranean” diet in the six months before assisted reproductive treatment have a significantly better chance of becoming pregnant and giving birth to a live baby than women who did not. Researchers asked women about their diet before they underwent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment found that […]
Cancer drug leads to ‘drastic decrease’ in HIV infection in lung cancer patient
Doctors in France have found the first evidence that a cancer drug may be able to eradicate HIV-infected cells in humans. In a letter published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1], researchers led by Professor Jean-Philippe Spano, head of the medical oncology department at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital AP-HP in Paris, France, report that […]
Four simple tests could help GPs spot pneumonia and reduce unnecessary antibiotics
Testing for fever, high pulse rate, crackly breath sounds, and low oxygen levels could be key to helping GPs distinguish pneumonia from less serious infections, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal. Pneumonia is a severe lung infection that can be life-threatening and often requires treatment with antibiotics. However, it is […]
Vitamin D linked with better live birth rates in women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment: researchers call for a randomised controlled trial to investigate
Researchers are calling for a randomised clinical trial to be carried out to investigate the potential role of vitamin D supplementation in improving live birth rates following assisted reproduction treatment (ART). This follows a review and meta-analysis published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, that shows a […]
Younger women with advanced breast cancer needlessly excluded from treatment trials
Lisbon, Portugal: Pre-menopausal women with the most common type of advanced breast cancer are usually excluded from medical research unnecessarily, according to an expert panel who met at the Advanced Breast Cancer Fourth International Consensus Conference (ABC 4). In new guidelines for treating advanced breast cancer, the panel said that the majority of clinical trials […]
Combined therapies increase adverse side effects for patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer
Lisbon, Portugal: Patients with advanced breast cancer who are treated with a combination of drugs that target specific molecules important for cancer development and also the hormones that are driving it are at increased risk of suffering adverse side effects. In new research presented at the Advanced Breast Cancer Fourth International Consensus Conference (ABC 4), […]
Exercise can counteract treatment side-effects and improve cardiovascular fitness in women with advanced breast cancer
Lisbon, Portugal: Taking part in regular exercise can reduce fatigue and pain, and improve cardiovascular health and quality of life in women being treated for advanced breast cancer, according to new research presented at the Advanced Breast Cancer Fourth International Consensus Conference (ABC 4). Hundreds of thousands of women around the world are being treated […]