https://medicalxpress.com/pulmonary-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Pulmonary medicine A fifth person has died in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City, health officials said Tuesday night. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-5th-person-dies-legionnaires-disease.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 04:30:03 EDT news703911710 Biological sex factors into cancer in ways you might not expect. In lung cancer, a form called squamous cell carcinoma disproportionately affects male patients, while adenocarcinoma occurs more frequently in female patients. Researchers want to know what is happening in our cells to cause these divergent outcomes in lung and other cancers and how this knowledge can benefit physicians and patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-biological-sex-linked-protein-lung.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:20:01 EDT news703866422 A team from the University of Bonn and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB) has discovered a previously unknown mechanism of action for a synthetic peptide that mitigates excessive inflammatory responses in allergic asthma. This mechanism specifically inhibits a key inflammatory switch in the immune system and opens new avenues for treating chronic inflammatory diseases. The findings have been published in the journal Advanced Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-synthetic-peptide-blocks-key-asthma.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:40:01 EDT news703855981 The Pulmonary Embolism Reporting and Data Systems (PE-RADS) framework for diagnosing and classifying acute pulmonary embolism using CT and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography was published in Radiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-framework-pulmonary-embolism-patient.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:00:10 EDT news703748665 Fentanyl causes symptoms that can lead to death from overdose. One of these symptoms is slow breathing, which deprives drug users of oxygen. In new research in JNeurosci, Erica Levitt and colleagues from the University of Michigan Medical School explored mechanisms for combating fentanyl-induced slow breathing. More specifically, the researchers used mice to examine mechanisms in the hypothalamus, a brain region that influences how breathing changes based on internal states. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-unveiling-treatment-fentanyl.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:00:03 EDT news703505797 A second person has died in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York, the New York City Health Department announced Saturday. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-death-legionnaires-disease-outbreak-york-1.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:00:01 EDT news703744718 A machine learning tool that analyzes information already captured in a child's electronic health record helped pediatricians more accurately assess asthma risk in standardized clinical case scenarios, according to a pilot randomized clinical trial led by a Regenstrief Institute researcher. The study was published in Scientific Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-machine-identification-asthma-children.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:00:05 EDT news703250326 A Legionnaires' disease outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in New York City has claimed its first life, health officials said Friday. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-death-legionnaires-disease-outbreak-york.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:20:01 EDT news703566412 Researchers estimate that more than 80 million U.S. adults are living with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway during sleep. This blockage causes shallow or irregular breathing that lowers oxygen levels, decreasing sleep quality and raising the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hypoglossal-nerve-obstructive-apnea-downstream.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news703497838 Wildfire smoke from fires burning in Canada and northern Minnesota has been pouring across the Great Lakes and northeastern U.S. states, turning skies an eerie shade of orange. In the West, smoke has also been spreading into communities in Colorado and neighboring states as more wildfires burn in hot, dry conditions in July 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-wildfire-health.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:03 EDT news703497200 Cancer develops when the body's systems for controlling cell growth break down, allowing cells to multiply unchecked. Texas A&M researchers have identified two naturally occurring molecules that appear to help restore those controls, offering a potential new strategy for slowing the progression of lung cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-microrna-discovery-strategy-lung-cancer.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:40:02 EDT news703437951 Pulmonary fibrosis is a deadly disease in which scar tissue grows in the lungs, making breathing more difficult. Approximately 2,170 Australians are diagnosed annually with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a form of the disease with no known cause and very few treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lung-diseases.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:40:05 EDT news703406553 One in every 12 children has asthma, making it the most common chronic condition in children. But many teachers lack the training needed to support those students, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The paper is published in the Journal of Applied School Psychology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-teachers-students-asthma.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:00:07 EDT news703339862 Neuroimmunology, the study of interactions between the nervous and immune systems, is a rapidly growing field enabling new approaches for monitoring and treating inflammatory diseases. In a study published in Immunity, scientists showed that, in mice, stimulating a nerve in the external ear may help ease inflammation in the lungs. Based on these findings, the researchers are designing a clinical trial to test a novel device for treating asthma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ear-nerve-eases-lung-inflammation.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:23 EDT news703229086 Ultrafine particles (UFPs) –smaller than 100 nanometres and invisible to the naked eye—contribute substantially to illness and mortality worldwide. That is the finding of an international study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and The Cyprus Institute, with cardiologists from Mainz University Medical Center among the co-authors. The researchers estimate that around 1.99 million deaths per year worldwide are attributable to exposure to ultrafine particles. That accounts for about five percent of all deaths from non-communicable diseases. Roughly half of these are due to cardiovascular disease. The researchers therefore advocate for binding limit values. The study appears in the journal Cardiovascular Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ultrafine-air-particles-million-premature.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:20:01 EDT news703263496 The ripple of the net after a Jude Bellingham strike is no longer the only ripple attracting attention. During England's World Cup campaign, the midfielder's prominent thigh veins have become an internet talking point. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-jude-bellingham-leg-veins-scoring.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:40:06 EDT news703239661 Young people who vape or smoke cigarettes have reduced blood vessel function, breathing efficiency and exercise capacity compared with those who have never smoked or vaped, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-vaping-young-people.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:00:04 EDT news703140766 A new national clinical trial is helping reshape the future of recovery research for critically ill patients, providing important new evidence about how rehabilitation and nutrition interventions should be delivered during severe illness and informing the next generation of research to improve ICU survivors' outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-trial-combined-nutrition-intervention-safe.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:20:01 EDT news703173858 Evidence that beetroot juice can improve athletic performance has long been inconsistent. While some studies reported benefits, others found little or no effect. Now, a new study combining results from 33 studies provides the clearest evidence yet that it can enhance exercise performance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-beetroot-juice-boost-sports-latest.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:09 EDT news703165262 Future therapies for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) must target both the virus and the immune response to ensure babies get the best possible outcomes, a new study by researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-clues-treatment-rsv-babies.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:00:03 EDT news702890283 A study led by biomedical scientist Erica Heinrich at the University of California, Riverside, highlights a critical gap in how clinicians detect and treat breathing distress (dyspnea), particularly in patients on ventilators. The research is published in the journal Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-oxygen-severe-breathlessness-driven-carbon.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news702746063 Air pollution from cruise ships could be damaging the health of people living in port cities by increasing inflammation and susceptibility to viruses such as the common cold and COVID-19. New research from the University of Southampton, published in Environment International, studied the air within Southampton's port. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cruise-ship-air-pollution-port.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:20:01 EDT news702881581 New research has uncovered a hidden pathway that allows COVID-19 to infect the immune system and trigger damaging inflammation in the lungs. The study by La Trobe University and WEHI researchers found SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can hide inside tiny fragments of dying infected cells, known as apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hidden-pathway-covid-infection-triggers.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news702807388 Cognitive function, hand dexterity and breathing ability play an important role in helping people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) use their inhalers correctly, according to a new study. The study is published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cognitive-physical-limitations-affect-inhaler.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news702808382 GLP-1 agonists have become popular treatments for weight loss and type 2 diabetes, and newer studies suggest other health benefits as well. Findings from experiments on mice, published in the Journal of Virology, suggest that the drugs may offer benefits to another patient population: people with type 2 diabetes who suffer from pulmonary fibrosis months or years after infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-agonists-people-diabetes-covid.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:03 EDT news702712306 A landmark Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA suggests lung transplantation can significantly extend survival in select patients with advanced lung cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lung-transplant-survival-patients-terminal.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:20:03 EDT news702737704 A shift to cleaner transportation could prevent more than 3,600 premature deaths in Montreal and Toronto by reducing ultrafine particle pollution, a new study led by McGill researchers found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-vehicle-emissions-thousands-deaths-canada.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:00:04 EDT news702730441 A research team led by experts at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has documented new evidence that excess abdominal fat increases the risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer. Published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the findings show that the immune system's attack on developing tumors is undermined in obese patients, contradicting earlier studies suggesting that patients with a high body mass index (BMI) are at lower risk for the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-obesity-lung-cancer-suppressing-immune.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:40:09 EDT news702721636 A single night of sleep testing may not be enough to diagnose sleep apnea, with new Flinders University research revealing that night-to-night variation can lead to missed or incorrect diagnoses. The study, published in npj Digital Medicine, found that analyzing sleep over multiple nights may provide a more accurate picture of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), challenging the longstanding reliance on one-night sleep studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-night-apnea-misclassify-patients.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:20:05 EDT news702721620 A collaborative research team has identified a novel blood-based biomarker capable of detecting early-stage lung cancer and predicting patient prognosis. The findings are published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-blood-based-biomarker-enables-early.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:00:04 EDT news702639962