Latest Clinical & Research News
Specialty: Pulmonary & Thoracic Surgery
Souheil Y. El-Chemaly, MD, and Julie Ng, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues conducted the first study to examine the lung microbiome of patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) who were at high risk of disease progression or death.
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Yue Liu, MD, a research fellow at the Brigham, Tianyi Huang, ScD, an associate epidemiologist, and colleagues have linked physical inactivity and sedentary behavior with obstructive sleep apnea incidence, suggesting an active lifestyle may have a role in prevention.
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Several studies in predominantly older white populations have identified various risk factors for early COPD such as asthma. Now, Fariha Khalid, MD, MPH, Alejandro A. Diaz, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and colleagues have conducted one of the largest studies of early COPD in U.S. Hispanics/Latinos.
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Brigham researchers are seeking to limit the severe effects of respiratory viruses by using new methods to reduce the viral load and excessive lung inflammation that are common with these lung infections. Pulmonologist Bruce D. Levy, MD, is a corresponding author of a recently published article on this research.
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Lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be remarkably diverse in their pathologies and the ways in which patients respond to treatment. To better understand diseases such as COPD, pulmonary vascular disease and interstitial lung disease, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital created the Applied Chest Imaging Laboratory (ACIL). The lab leverages the power of imaging and hypothesis-driven modeling to create algorithms that empower clinical and genetic research.
Developments in robotic surgery are enabling procedures in minimally invasive thoracic surgery that previously were not feasible. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a team that includes thoracic surgeons and pulmonologists along with experts in vascular surgery, anesthesiology and intensive care has facilitated the increased use of these procedures for many different medical conditions. Read More
Results of an invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (iCPET) explain why patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), also known as long-haul COVID, suffer from fatigue, shortness of breath and lightheadedness when exerting themselves. A recent study published in the journal CHEST found that PACS patients without cardiopulmonary disease demonstrate a marked reduction in aerobic activity and impaired systemic oxygen extraction, along with an exaggerated hyperventilatory response during exercise.
When new clinical care guidelines are issued, it often can take years before they are widely inculcated among practicing physicians. However, in the case of new asthma care guidelines issued in 2020, Brigham and Women’s Hospital has been implementing the recommended new treatment approaches for several years.
Hospitals across the country pushed the pause button on elective surgeries and non-emergency procedures during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, patients requiring lifesaving organ transplants couldn’t wait. To meet these patients’ urgent needs, the transplant team at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Lung Center sprang into action, quickly creating new protocols to help the sickest of the sick.
At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, The Lung Center has launched a new extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) Transport Program to provide lifesaving ECMO treatment to hospitalized patients at community hospitals in New England. The unique program arranges for ECMO specialists at the Brigham to travel to hospitals in the community, put patients on ECMO and bring them back to The Lung Center for complex pulmonary care.