Obstructive sleep apnea may be associated with increased oxidative burden, say researchers. (Source: MedWire News - Respiratory)

China is one of the few countries with some of the highest particulate matter levels in the world. However, only a small number of particulate matter health studies have been conducted in China. The study objective was to examine the association of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10) with daily mortality in 16 Chinese cities between 1996 and 2008. Two-stage Bayesian hierarchical models were applied to obtain city-specific and national average estimates. Poisson regression models incorporating natural spline smoothing functions were used to adjust for long-term and seasonal trends of mortality, as well as other time-varying covariates. The averaged daily concentrations of PM10 in the 16 Chinese cities ranged from 52 μg/m3 to 156 μg/m3. The 16-c...

Context Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for the management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recommend the addition of long-acting bronchodilators for patients who remain symptomatic despite use of short-acting bronchodilators.1 Whether a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (anticholinergic) bronchodilator (LAMA) such as tiotropium or a long-acting β2-agonist bronchodilator (LABA) such as salmeterol, formoterol or indacaterol should be used as initial therapy is a matter of debate. If symptoms persist despite the use of tiotropium, CPGs recommend adding a LABA. In practice, the LABA added usually includes inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) as a combination inhaler (LABA/ICS: salmeterol/fluticasone or formoterol/budesonide). Occasionally, a LABA/ICS is used instead of t...

This study evaluated randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of ICS (budesonide or fluticasone) or ICS with a long-acting β agonist (LABA) versus placebo or LABA alone over a follow-up period of at least 24 weeks. The authors also assessed the outcomes of... (Source: Evidence-Based Medicine)