Top news of December: New severe asthma therapy, long COVID, tech for smoking cessation

The Healio Editors compiled the most-read news in pulmonology posted in December.

Highlights from the previous month include FDA approval of tezepelumab for severe asthma; the correlation between initial COVID-19 severity and adverse pulmonary outcomes after 1 year; failure of convalescent plasma to reduce respiratory failure and death in COVID-19 pneumonia; the effects of air pollution on fibrotic ILD; improved survival with lenzilumab without ventilation in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and more.

Read these articles, and others, below, in no particular order.

FDA approves tezepelumab for severe asthma

The FDA has approved tezepelumab for add-on maintenance treatment of adults and children aged 12 years and older with severe asthma.  Read more

Pathologists find evidence of usual interstitial pneumonia in people with long COVID

Usual interstitial pneumonia was a common finding in lung biopsies of people evaluated for post-COVID-19 interstitial lung disease, according to data published in EClinicalMedicine. Read more

Initial severity of COVID-19 correlates with adverse pulmonary outcome 1 year later

Initial severity of COVID-19 respiratory failure was associated with the degree of pulmonary impairment and respiratory quality of life 1 year after infection, according to results published in Respiratory Medicine.  Read more

Smartphone app helped Black smokers quit

Among Black adults, an acceptance and commitment therapy-based smartphone app was more effective for smoking cessation compared with a conventional app, researchers reported in Addiction.  Read more

Convalescent plasma fails to reduce respiratory failure, death in COVID-19 pneumonia

Convalescent plasma failed to reduce progression to severe respiratory failure or death within 30 days in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.  Read more

Lower airways distinct in cystic fibrosis, even in younger children

There are distinct differences in airway microbiota and inflammation in lower airway samples of patients with cystic fibrosis across a range of ages, researchers reported in PLOS ONE.  Read more

Air pollution has various effects in fibrotic ILD

Air pollution has various effects on patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease, according to preliminary research presented at the PFF Summit.  Read more

Social risk interventions linked to fewer asthma ED visits, hospitalizations in children

Among children with asthma, social risk interventions were associated with decreased asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.  Read more

Lenzilumab improves survival without ventilation in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

Lenzilumab significantly improved survival without the need for invasive mechanical ventilation among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to results of the LIVE-AIR trial published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Read more

Adapted D-dimer thresholds safe, efficient to rule out acute pulmonary embolism

For patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, diagnostic strategies to rule out PE that apply adapted D-dimer thresholds were safe and efficient, even in high-risk patients. Read more