New 'wonder pill' offers hope for asthmatics

Warding off asthma may soon be as simple as popping a pill, suggests a recent study.
The first new asthma pill for nearly 20 years has the power to significantly reduce the severity of the condition, the University of Leicester research found.
"This new drug could be a game changer for future treatment of asthma," said lead researcher Chris Brightling. 

Fevipiprant (QAW039) significantly decreased the symptoms of asthma, improved lung function, reduced inflammation and repaired the lining of airways.
The drug is currently being evaluated in late stage clinical trials for efficacy in patients with severe asthma, according to ClinTrials.gov.
A total of 61 people took part in the research. One group was given 225mg of the drug twice a day for 12 weeks and the other participants were assigned to a placebo group. Fevipiprant and the placebo were added to the medications the participants were already taking.
The study was designed primarily to examine the effects on inflammation in the airway by measuring the sputum eosinophil count.
The sputum eosinophil is an inflammation measurement of a white blood cell that increases in asthma and is used to assess the severity of this condition.
People who do not have asthma have a percentage of less than one and those with moderate-to-severe asthma typically have a reading of about five percent.
The rate in people with moderate-to-severe asthma taking the medication was reduced from an average of 5.4 percent to 1.1 percent over 12 weeks, according to the study.
Brightling noted: "A unique feature of this study was how it included measurements of symptoms, lung function using breathing tests, sampling of the airway wall and CT scans of the chest to give a complete picture of how the new drug works. Most treatments might improve some of these features of disease, but with Fevipiprant improvements were seen with all of the types of tests."
He added, "We already know that using treatments to target eosinophilic airway inflammation can substantially reduce asthma attacks. This new treatment, Fevipiprant, could likewise help to stop preventable asthma attacks, reduce hospital admissions and improve day-to-day symptoms- making it a 'game changer' for future treatment."

Gaye Stokes from Grantham in Lincolnshire has had severe asthma for 16 years. She took part in the trial and was part of the Fevipiprant group.
The 54-year-old said: "I knew straight away that I had been given the drug. I felt like a completely different person. I had more get up and go, I was less wheezy and for the first time in years I felt really, really well. For me, it felt like a complete wonder drug and I can't wait for it to be available because I really think it could make a huge difference to me."
After the 12 week trial and Gaye stopped receiving the drug, she said her health started to "go downhill again very quickly." 

 Future treatment of human disease will increasingly move from a 'one size fits all' approach to one of tailoring the treatment to the individual patient.

The study is published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal. 

ps- waiting eagerly for this wonder drug to hit the market, as many like me can benefit from it !  as only asthmatics know what it is like to get breathless due to severe attacks, when we literally gasp for breath and feel choked.

 
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Autopsy of patient suffering from MERS show how it affects the lungs

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A study of the first reported autopsy of a MERS patient revealed that patients with the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) often show signs of acute kidney failure but lungs are the primary target organs of the new disease in humans. The MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first isolated from the sputum of a patient who died of respiratory and renal failure in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since 2012, at least, 1,500 individuals have developed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), resulting in more than 500 fatalities. 

Only now are results being reported of the first autopsy of a MERS patient, which was performed in 2014, but the study also said. Not only do these findings published in the American Journal of Pathology provide unprecedented, clinically-relevant insights about how MERS progresses, but they also challenge previously accepted ideas about MERS and the relevance of current animal models.

The 45-year-old male patient analysed by autopsy was one of a large patient cluster treated at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates in April 2014. The autopsy, performed 10 days after his death, showed that the lungs were the main target organs of MERS, with diffuse damage to the air sacs (alveoli) observed. Using immunohistochemistry, the researchers identified anti-MERS-CoV antibodies, in particular, cells in the lungs (pneumocytes and epithelial syncytial cells) and bronchial submucosal glands. 

‘Infection of bronchial submucosal glands is a likely source of viral shedding in respiratory secretions leading to human-to-human transmission,’ explained lead investigator Sherif Zaki from US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. Patients with MERS often show signs of acute kidney failure, and MERS-CoV has been found in the urine of MERS patients. In this case, although certain signs of pathology were seen in this patient’s kidneys, immunohistochemistry showed no evidence of MERS-CoV. 

Such new insights suggest that MERS researchers and clinicians treating MERS patients should focus their infectious control strategies on the lungs. Similarly, no sign of MERS-CoV infection was found in the brain. In many ways, findings from this autopsy differ from observations made using animal models. ‘Although these experimental studies were able to suggest the target cells of the virus and histopathology of MERS, only some of the features of the animal models conform to the observations in the human autopsy,’ Walker noted.

Pulmonary disease: awareness, early detection

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 Air pollution in the city( most cities) has increased chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by 50%, say experts. COPD is a non-communicable lung disease that progressively robs the patient of breath.

However, recent studies indicate that 25% to 50% of people with clinically significant COPD do not realize they even have it. "That is because the early stages of COPD are often unrecognised," says consultant pulmonologist at SIMS Dr A Suresh.

The early symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are chronic cough, bringing up sputum, and breathlessness during physical activity such as exercise or walking up a flight of stairs.

"However people might discount these symptoms as a normal part of aging but they can be signs of a disease that needs treatment," he said.

COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Around 15 million people suffer from the disease in India. "COPD causes four times more deaths in India compared to US and Europe. This is mainly due to lack of awareness," said director of Chest Research Institute Dr Bala Murugan With both asthma and COPD patients manifesting common symptoms doctors say differential diagnosis is crucial. "There are challenges in diagnosing COPD early in resource poor setting in India. Most patients go to doctors at an advanced stage when the chances of lung attack are high making it difficult to treat," said Dr Suresh.

Experts say now there are simple tools available for early screening of symptomatic COPD patients. "The earlier COPD is detected, the more effective treatment can be," says Dr Suresh. Although there is no cure for COPD, treatments are available that alleviate symptoms so that patients can participate more fully in daily life.

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU ARE ALONE??

Since many people are alone when they suffer a 

heart attack, without help,the person whose heart is 

beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has 

only about 10 seconds left before losing 

consciousness.

However,these victims can help themselves by 

coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep 

breath should be taken before each cough, and the 

cough must be deep and prolonged, as when 

producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every 

two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or 

until 

the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and 

coughing 

movements squeeze the heart and keep 

the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the 

heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this 

way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell 

as many other people as possible about this. It could 

save their lives!!

A cardiologist says If everyone who sees this post 

shares it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at 

least one life..

PS- THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.

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EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT COPD( CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISORDER)

COPD typically refers to two lung diseases – chronic bronchitis and emphysema. A person with COPD may have one or the other, but most people with COPD have both.

Chronic bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Over time this leads to changes in the airway lining, which leads to excess mucus production and chronic cough. Emphysema is the irreversible breakdown of the walls of the lungs’ air sacs. As a result, the lungs lose elasticity and their capacity to exchange oxygen to the bloodstream for carbon dioxide. COPD also adds to the work of the heart.

Because COPD often progresses slowly, many people don't realize they have a problem. Also, they may blame their breathlessness or coughing on the aging process and think their condition is normal for someone who is getting older. And people adjust their daily routine to reduce or avoid activities that leave them breathless.

Early diagnosis and treatment is the most likely way to preserve lung function.

Early warning signs of COPD vary, but among the most common are:

• An increased amount of sputum coughed up from the lungs
• Shortness of breath during activity
• Chronic coughing

It is possible to have both COPD and asthma, and the diseases share several characteristics. Many people with COPD also suffer from asthma, but most people with asthma do not have COPD.

One difference between the two is that asthma sufferers can be nearly free of symptoms between exacerbations with proper treatment. Also, the symptoms of asthma – wheezing, shortness of breath, cough – are usually caused by obvious triggers, such as allergens, cold air, or exercise. Onset of asthma generally occurs in younger non-smokers, while COPD is more often linked to older age and smoking. Airway obstruction with asthma is typically reversible, while people with COPD develop permanent lung damage that progresses over time.

Although COPD is not curable, the symptoms can be treated and your quality of life can improve. Factors include how well your lungs are functioning and how well you follow your treatment program and respond to it. It is possible to feel better, stay active, and slow the progression of the disease.

The muscles used in breathing may burn up to 10 times more calories for a person of average weight with COPD than for a person without COPD. Also, if you are overweight, your heart and lungs have to work even harder to breathe properly. If you are underweight, you are more susceptible to complications from illnesses. Maintaining proper weight and achieving good nutrition are important to coping with COPD.

In COPD, less air flows in your lungs' airways for one or more of the following reasons:

• Bronchial tubes become inflamed and thickened.
• Your airways are clogged with mucus.
• Walls between your lungs' air sacs are destroyed, causing them to lose elasticity and lessen the exchange of oxygen/carbon dioxide.

COPD is diagnosed most often in people who are over 45. The CDC reports that 11% of men and 10% of women aged 75-84 had COPD in 2007-2009, compared to 2% of men and 4% for women aged 25-44.

Quitting smoking is the single most effective way to slow the progression of COPD or reduce the risk of developing it. If you quit smoking, you can stop or slow down further damage to your lungs.

The flu can cause serious problems for people with COPD, so they should get a flu shot every year. People with COPD are also at greater risk for pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia, so talk to your health care provider about getting the pneumococcal "pneumonia" vaccine.

There is no cure for COPD, but there are effective treatments, and you can make lifestyle changes that can improve the symptoms and slow the disease. Pulmonary rehabilitation involves exercise, education about nutritional needs, and sometimes psychological counseling. Your health care provider also may prescribe inhaler medicines to relax your airways and make breathing easier. If you have severe COPD, you may require the use of supplemental oxygen.

When your COPD gets suddenly worse, it's known as an exacerbation. Common signs are wheezing, increased cough or shortness of breath, shallow or rapid breathing, increased heart rate or temperature, and a change in the color of your mucus. People with COPD may experience one or two exacerbations each year, and they will worsen as the disease progresses. Talk to your health care provider about a plan for treating exacerbations.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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