by John T Murphy, MSOL, RRT, CPFT
The following summary is a list of recent articles or online publications and releases that involve news about Respiratory Therapy concerns, focus, disease management, prevention and care.
| Article | Date | Author | Source | Online | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COPD Morbid-ity Linked to Omega Fatty Acid Intake | December 6, 2019 | Sheila Jacobs | Annals of the ATS | https://www.pulmonologyadvisor.com/home/topics/copd/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-exacerbations-and-omega-3-and-6-fatty-acids/ | Higher total omega-3 intake was linked to fewer severe COPD exacerbations and a trend toward higher lung function. |
| More E-Cigarette Users Starting Before Age 14 | December 24, 2019 | Lisa Rapaport | Reuters Health | https://www.managedhealthcareconnect.com/content/more-e-cigarette-users-starting-age-14 | The article says that the percentage of vapers who started by 14 increased “from just 8.8% in 2014…to 28.6% in 2018. |
| Mucin 1 protein may trigger profibrotic transformations in the lungs that contribute to IPF, study suggests | December 23, 2019 | Ana Pena | PF News | https://pulmonaryfibrosisnews.com/2019/12/29/mucin-1-protein-therapeutic-target-ipf-study/ | The study’s findings were published in Thorax and suggest that MUC1 may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of IPF. |
| Evidence mounts that vitamin E acetate is to blame for vaping-related illnesses, deaths | December 20, 2019 | Lena Sun | Washington Post | https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/12/20/evidence-mounts-that-vitamin-e-acetate-is-blame-vaping-related-illnesses-deaths/ | CDC releases four new reports on vaping-related lung illnesses concerning current state of outbreak, vitamin E acetate, risk of relapse, and other matters. |
| Long-term study: E-cigarettes increase risk for chronic lung diseases | December 19, 2019 | Bhatta DN, Glantz SA | American Journal of Preventive Medicine | https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(19)30391-5/fulltext | Current use of e-cigarettes appears to be an independent risk factor for respiratory disease in addition to all combustible tobacco smoking. |