Top news of February: COVID-19 updates, cardiovascular risk factors common in COPD and more

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

Highlights include a Q&A about a study that found low antibodies after the second COVID-19 vaccine in patients with chronic conditions; common but undertreated cardiovascular risk factors in COPD; high survival after lung transplant for COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome; feasibility and effectiveness of web-based prescription of smoking cessation therapy; and more.

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

Oral corticosteroid use, prior asthma hospitalization up risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes

Risk for COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission or death was increased for adults in Scotland with asthma who had a prior hospitalization or required two or more courses of oral corticosteroids in the previous 2 years. Read more

Survival high for patients undergoing lung transplant for COVID-19-associated ARDS

In a single-center case series published in JAMA, survival after lung transplant was 100% among 30 patients with COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Read more

Major cardiovascular risk factors common yet undertreated in patients with COPD

Among patients with COPD, major cardiovascular risk factors were common but inadequately monitored, treated and controlled, researchers reported in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Read more

Many patients with chronic conditions may have low antibodies after second COVID-19 vaccine

One-fifth of patients with chronic medical conditions who received two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine had insufficient antibody levels at least 14 days after the second dose, researchers reported in Chest. Read more

Pulmonary function may signal cardiometabolic disease

Pulmonary function levels may be used to predict risk for cardiometabolic diseases and cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Read more

Web-based prescription of smoking-cessation therapy feasible, effective

An intervention that utilized smoking-cessation therapy prescribed over the internet was feasible and effective. Read more

Coal fire fine exposure increases COPD risk in nonsmokers

Exposure to high concentrations of fine particulate matter from a coal mine fire over a 6-week period was associated with an increased risk for COPD in nonsmokers nearly 4 years later. Read more

High mortality, health care use for patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure

Hospitalized patients with compensated hypercapnic respiratory failure have high rates of mortality and health care utilization, with higher elevated carbon dioxide partial pressure associated with worse survival. Read more

Sleep apnea in pregnancy may raise future risk for hypertension, metabolic syndrome

Women with persistent sleep-disordered breathing during and after pregnancy had an increased risk for hypertension and metabolic syndrome, according to data published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine. Read more

Programs that pay smokers to quit cost-effective from health care sector perspective

Four different financial incentive programs for smoking cessation were cost-effective from the health care sector perspective, but more expensive from the employer perspective, which may hinder wider adoption. Read more