2008 JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS RELEASE
Why do some smokers get lung cancer, while other don't? Results from a new study may begin to answer this intriguing question.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins, as part of a large, multi-institutional study, have found one gene variant that is linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. The study was published in the April 3, 2008 issue of Nature Genetics. … More...
Quitting smoking is hard, but not impossible. In this excerpt from our newsletter Health After 50, Johns Hopkins reviews your options.
Despite a steady decline in the number of smokers, tobacco continues to cause twice as many deaths per year as AIDS, alcohol abuse, motor vehicle collisions, illicit drug use, and suicides combined. Understandably, knowledge of the dangers of smoking or the benefits of quitting smoking is typically not enough to motivate people to quit. Nicotine… More...
A recent study shows that a short three-day course of antibiotics effectively treats pneumonia.
Pneumonia is an infection of the air sacs and surrounding lung tissue. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death overall and the primary cause of death from infectious disease in the United States, claiming the lives of about 65,000 Americans each year. Most people who die of pneumonia are over the age of 65, and often they have had underlying disorders… More...
What should you take to soothe a bad cough? Experts from the American College of Chest Physicians have issued guidelines … and their advice may surprise you. More...
People living with COPD face many challenges and it's easy to feel overwhelmed, powerless, or alone. A COPD support group can help.
Finding an experienced physician to treat you or a loved one for lung disease is an important step. But however well trained, few doctors are likely to know what it really feels like to try to get through the day with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer. The experts who can give… More...
A recent study shows that COPD patients often receive substandard hospital care. Our recommendation: COPD patients should keep a list of recommended tests and treatments with them in case they are hospitalized.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Now a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Volume 144, page 894) reports that two thirds of patients… More...
Older people with asthma tend to fare better than younger asthma patients, even though they have worse lung function, a new study concludes. The three-year study, reported in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (Volume 96, page 406), included people with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma. Participants were under a doctor’s care for at least one year and used a lot of medication or health care resources.… More...
The higher the steroid dose, the more likely that side effects -- cataracts, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, hair loss -- may occur.
As a growing number of people with lung disease are living longer, more people are taking long-term oral steroids for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other chronic lung conditions. … More...
Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by repeated episodes of breathing cessation (apnea) during sleep. These episodes last from 10 seconds to nearly a minute, ending with a brief partial arousal. Episodes of sleep apnea can occur (and disrupt sleep) hundreds of times throughout one night. An estimated 18 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, yet 95% of them are undiagnosed and untreated. Sleep apnea is about twice as common among men as among women. More...
COPD complications can be serious. Johns Hopkins specialists provide bottom line advice to help you recognize a COPD problem before it turns dangerous.
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Have you ever had a spirometry lung function test? New research shows that most patients are diagnosed with COPD based only on their symptoms.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term that encompasses chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The symptoms of COPD develop slowly over many several years and include wheezing, a chronic cough that produces phlegm, and progressive shortness of breath. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. … More...
A new study finds that a chemical compound in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, and mothballs may harm the lungs. Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that exposure to a volatile organic compound (VOC) called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1.4 DCB) may cause reductions in lung function.
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May 1 is World Asthma Day – the perfect time to review allergens that may trigger your asthma symptoms and to discuss steps you can take to breathe easier. Here Dr. Peter B. Terry, professor of medicine in the division of Pulmonary Medicine at Johns Hopkins, offers advice that can help – even if you suffer from chronic, long-term asthma. … More...
Johns Hopkins experts weigh the risks and benefits of CT scans to detect lung cancer.
Lung cancer screening made headlines recently when The Early Lung Cancer Action Project (ELCAP) published new findings about spiral computed tomography (CT). This extremely sensitive imaging test detects lung cancer tumors under 1 cm in diameter. Traditional chest x-rays only detect lung cancer tumors 1-2 cm in size (stage I lung cancer tumors are defined as 3 cm or smaller). If… More...
Air travel offers special challenges for people who use supplement oxygen. Here’s some helpful advice from the experts at Johns Hopkins … Call your doctor as soon as you know you’re going away. If you have COPD and don’t normally use supplemental oxygen, you may now need it if you’re traveling by air, as low oxygen levels in the… More...
Symptoms of interstitial lung disease vary widely and may persist for months, even years.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) refers to a group of more than 200 chronic disorders in which lung tissue is damaged, the walls of the air sacs become inflamed, and scarring (fibrosis) begins in the interstitium -- the tissue between the air sacs. Though many of the disorders are uncommon, taken together interstitial lung disease is a frequent cause of respiratory problems, accounting… More...
Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Peter B. Terry talks about the team of doctors who will treat you if you have a serious lung disorder, such as lung cancer.
If you have a serious lung disorder, you may see several specialists during the course of your treatment. "My patients often ask why they are seeing so many doctors,” says Peter B. Terry, M.D., author of the Johns Hopkins Lung Disorders White Paper. "A person with lung… More...
Although lung cancer is often thought to be a "silent disease," with no symptoms appearing until it’s too late for treatment, a new study finds that some lung cancer patients had symptoms for many months before they were diagnosed. This study of 22 men and women recently diagnosed with lung cancer found that patients recalled having new symptoms for many months, typically during the year before their lung cancer diagnosis, no matter what the stage of their disease when diagnosed. More...
Johns Hopkins professor Peter B. Terry, M.D. explains how overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance.
Many people who develop bronchitis go to their physician assuming they’ll receive antibiotics to clear up the bronchitis. But a recent study found that people with bronchitis or other uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections who take antibiotics for their condition have little difference in relief of symptoms compared with patients who don’t take antibiotics. … More...
Virtually the minute you quit smoking, your health begins to improve.
The negative effects of smoking are clear: One in every three people who starts smoking will die prematurely of a smoking-related illness, according to the American Lung Association. And one in every five deaths stems directly from tobacco exposure. But the good news is that it’s never too late to quit smoking. The benefits of smoking cessation begin within a few minutes of your last… More...
Play it safe -- talk to your doctor about ALL the medications you’re taking.
Many adults with asthma may take a number of prescription and over the-counter medications to treat a variety of conditions. Some of these medications may trigger or worsen asthma symptoms. If you take any of the medications discussed below, it’s important to talk to your doctor about their possible negative effects on your asthma. … More...
Short of breath? Coughing? Johns Hopkins Doctors Explain Why You Should Take Your Symptoms Seriously.
Many lung disorders produce similar symptoms, but the severity and duration of these symptoms can vary considerably from disease to disease. The lung disorders can be acute (short and relatively severe) or chronic (persisting over a long time). … More...
Can I get the flu from a flu shot? Read the answers to this and other questions about the flu.
It’s flu season once again. Amidst the reminders and recommendations to get a flu shot, many people remain unsure about side effects, the availability of a nasal vaccine, and whether or not a flu vaccine is needed every year. Here are answers to some common flu questions. … More...
Although the connection between GERD and asthma is not well understood, doctors have found that treating your GERD symptoms often relieves your asthma symptoms as well.
Up to 70% of people with asthma have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), compared with 20–30% of the general population. These statistics suggest that if you have severe, chronic asthma, which does not respond well to treatment, you are particularly susceptible to GERD. … More...
Men with Severe Sleep Apnea Have Higher Risk of Heart Problems Men with untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea have a higher incidence of fatal and nonfatal heart problems compared to other men. But, according to a study in the journal Lancet, the risk of heart problems is reduced when sleep apnea is treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the common therapy for the condition. The study included 264 healthy men,… More...
Does switching to light cigarettes offer any protection? Cutting back on how much you smoke? Here’s the latest research.
While smoking tobacco damages the body in various ways—for example, it increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, bladder cancer, and even erectile dysfunction—the most direct effects -of smoking are on the lungs. Smoking increases the risk of nearly every lung disorder and causes most cases of lung cancer, which kills more than 150,000 Americans each year.… More...
For people with moderately severe emphysema, lung volume reduction surgery is considered the only surgical alternative to lung transplantation. More...
Pneumonia, an infection of the air spaces and surrounding lung tissue, is the sixth leading cause of death and the primary cause of death from infectious disease in the United States. Hundreds of different microorganisms can infect the lungs, but most cases of pneumonia are caused by viruses or bacteria. Viral pneumonia, which accounts for about half of all cases, is most often a complication of influenza.
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Breath training helps to control breathing rate, decrease the amount of energy required for breathing, and improve the position and function of the respiratory muscles for people suffering from COPD. More...
2008 Lung Disorders White Paper Includes information on emphysema and chronic bronchitis (together referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD), asthma, pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, lung cancer, sleep apnea, and pulmonary embolism. Featured highlights for 2008 include: PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Breathing Easier through this exclusive web-only offer. Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION Read more or order the PRINT EDITION
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The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50 When you're over 50, it's more important than ever to have access to reliable health information. You won't find a more authoritative source than The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50. Since 1988, we've been publishing accurate, timely advice from our specialists on the disorders that most commonly affect the over 50s population. If you're approaching this milestone in your llife, don't miss this opportunity to take charge of your health. Read more, request a trial issue, or order now and get two FREE Special Reports...
Reference Books
The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 A comprehensive home medical encyclopedia that gives you a “crash course” on more than 100 major medical concerns of men and women over 50! Organized in an easy-to-use A to Z format, the Medical Guide provides in-depth explanations of the many chronic health problems associated with aging – high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, memory loss, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gallstones, to name but a few.Read more or order...
Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies This easy-to-use reference book can help you pinpoint the causes of hundreds of disorders, from abdominal pain to skin rash to swollen glands. The book is divided into two distinct sections: symptoms, which includes charts covering a wide range of common symptoms and possible diagnoses, and disorders, which discusses the disorder, its causes, prevention advice, treatment strategies, and other crucial information so you will be able to either treat yourself at home, or know when it's time to call a doctor. Read more or order...
Other Johns Hopkins Reference Books
The Johns Hopkins Consumer Guide to Drugs Contains drug profiles on more than 750 medications–both prescription and over-the-counter, most commonly used by people over 50, all presented in our unique page-at-a-glance format, designed with you in mind, the busy person who wants the most reliable health information available at your fingertips. Your guide also includes an invaluable overview of dietary supplements and how they can interact with certain medications, the dangers of taking your pills with grapefruit juice, and more. Read more...
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