Improvements in air quality during COVID-19 lockdowns likely decreased hospital admissions for patients with asthma in Oxford City, United Kingdom.
In 2020, when there were 2 national lockdowns in England, levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in Oxford City dropped by 18%–33%. Over the same period, there was a 42% reduction in asthma cases needing hospital care compared with the previous 5 pre-pandemic years.
Early-life exposure to air pollution may be associated with the onset of childhood asthma, according to a large study in the United States.
The findings also suggest that individual factors, such as lower maternal educational attainment and opportunity levels, and community factors are associated with a higher incidence of asthma in childhood.
An AI*-aided stethoscope improved home monitoring of young children with asthma in a study in Poland.
The stethoscope combines information on pathologic sounds analyzed by AI and other parameters. In children younger than 5 years of age, the stethoscope detected asthma exacerbations without the need to measure peak expiratory flow. However, it was not much more effective in adults than their own assessment of asthma symptoms.
*AI= Artificial Intelligence
Adherence varies greatly among patients with COPD*. Patients with high medication adherence had a 51% lower likelihood of being hospitalized due to exacerbations than those with low adherence.
The significance of medical adherence in reducing the risk of asthma-related hospitalization is underscored by these extensive real-world data from more than 13,000 patients with COPD in Switzerland.
*COPD= Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A woman's reproductive history may be linked to an increased risk of developing COPD*, according to a study of women in Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Age at onset of menstruation and early menopause are associated with a higher risk of COPD.
Women who started menstruating at or before age 11 had a 17% increased risk, while those who started after age 16 had a 24% higher risk of COPD. Additionally, women with children, those who experienced infertility or miscarriage, and postmenopausal women with earlier natural menopause had an elevated risk.
*COPD= Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A study in England found major shortfalls and inequalities in asthma care in general practice after patients were discharged from hospital.
Four in 10 patients did not have an asthma review within 4 weeks as recommended in clinical guidelines. People in Black ethnic minority groups were up to 54% less likely to receive the recommended level of care than their White counterparts.
Moderate and severe COPD* exacerbations significantly increase the risk of death and severe CV** events. Although the risk declines over time, it persists for up to 1 year after an exacerbation.
A study involving over 140,000 individuals in Canada found a nearly 16-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for CV events in the week following exacerbation. The risk for HF*** decompensation was particularly elevated. Although misclassification may have contributed to this finding, longer term risk remained high.
*COPD= Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
**CV= Cardiovascular
***HF= Heart failure
RSV* accounted for nearly 9% of outpatient-managed COPD** exacerbations in a study in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
RSV-related exacerbations appear to be shorter than non-RSV exacerbations, but this may be due to delayed diagnosis. Many RSV infections would have been missed by PCR*** alone and combining it with serology may be helpful in studying the epidemiology of RSV.
*RSV= Respiratory Syncytial Virus
**COPD= Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
***PCR= Polymerase Chain Reaction
CC-MED-1-05/2025
Διαμοιρασμός περιεχομένου