Thorax Podcast (BMJ Group)

Patients exposed to air pollution after diagnosis of lung cancer have shorter survival, in particular those patients with early-stage non-small cell cancers (specially adenocarcinomas), according to a study published by Thorax and conducted by researchers from the Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California. The first study of this kind was based on a population of over 300 thousand patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer over more than two decades. In this podcast, Dr Jaime Hart, from the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and author of the Thorax editorial about this study, tells Dr Jennifer Quint the details of this study and its impact on how air pollution is considered by general population. Read the original article ’Air pollution affects lung cancer survival’, which corresponding author is Dr Sandrah P Eckel, here: http://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2016/06/22/thoraxjnl-2015-207927.full. The editorial is available here: http://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2016/07/20/thoraxjnl-2016-208967.full.

In this podcast Dr Ian Mudway talks to Dr Elizabeth Batalla-Duran about his recent paper in Plos-One entitled "Effects of air pollution and introduction of the London low emission zone on the prevalence of respiratory and allergic symptoms on the school children of East London".

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, is joined by Professor Ashley Woodcock, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, The University of Manchester, UK, to discuss the paper "Effects of switching from a metered dose inhaler to a dry powder inhaler on climate emissions and asthma control: post-hoc analysis."

This paper was a secondary analysis of the Salford Lung Study in Asthma. In a real world study SLS asthma showed that a once daily combination treatment in a dry powder inhaler improved asthma control over one year, versus usual treatment. This secondary analysis looked at the impact on carbon footprint for those patients switching from a pressurised MDI to DPI treatment.

Childhood obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an independent determinant of blood pressure in adulthood – a longitudinal follow-up study’ with host Rachael Moses and Dr Kate Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong. This podcast discusses the relationship between Childhood OSA and adverse BP in adulthood as well as the long term health implications and why it is important this is treated.

Read the paper on the Thorax website: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/03/23/thoraxjnl-2019-213692

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, talks to Dr Ash Clift Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford. The evidence surrounding COVID-19 has been conflicting and inconsistent. This podcast discusses the findings of this observational and Mendelian randomisation study using the UK Biobank cohort. The author discusses the findings with regards to the potential causal effect of cigarette smoking on the severity of COVID-19 infection and what this means for both the public and clinicians.

Related article: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/thoraxjnl/early/2021/09/12/thoraxjnl-2021-217080

An expedition ship departed on an Antarctic cruise mid-March 2020 with no known COVID passengers or crew members. However after 8 days the first passenger became febrile and isolation procedures were followed. A further 24 members of the ship developed symptoms (some as late as 23 days later) with 8 requiring medical evacuation. Of the 217 passengers and crew on board, 128 tested positive for COVID-19 with 81% of those positive being asymptomatic. This paper demonstrates how quickly COVID-19 can spread as well as the high number of COVID positive people being asymptomatic showcasing the importance of testing in this group.

Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor Thorax BMJ, talks to the Professor Alvin Ing, Clinical Program Head, Respiratory and Cardiovascular Medicine, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia, and author of the paper published by Thorax (https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/27/thoraxjnl-2020-215091)

In this podcast, we discuss the impact of Best Practice Tariffs (BPT) in improving outcomes for people with COPD admitted to hospital following an acute exacerbation. The key question was to understand if the combination of specialist review within 24 hours and a discharge care bundle incentivised by the English COPD BPT scheme was associated with improved mortality and readmission rates for those admitted with an acute exacerbation of COPD. Thorax Multimedia Editor, Rachael Moses, talks to Philip Stone, from the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK.

Read the paper (https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/07/15/thoraxjnl-2021-216880) and subscribe to the Thorax Podcast on your favourite platform.

In this podcast Dr Elizabeth Batalla-Duran talks to Dr Adam Leventhal from the University Southern California about his paper "Association of Electronic Cigarette Use With Initiation of Combustible Tobacco Product Smoking in Early Adolescence" recently published in JAMA.

In this podcast Jennifer Quint talks to Shyamali Dharmage and Brittany Campbell about their recent press released paper "Growing up on a farm as related to adult lung function and allergic phenotypes: An international population based study".

In this podcast, the effect of hormonal contraception on the impact of severe asthma exacerbation in women of reproductive age is discussed.

Multimedia Editor of Thorax, Rachael Moses, interviews Dr Nwaru, Associate Professor of epidemiology, Krefting Research Centre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, author of the longest longitudinal study investigating this impact in women with established asthma. (https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/10/15/thoraxjnl-2020-215540)

The study discussed in this podcast cautions against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe. Listen to the conversation between the Multimedia Associate Editor of Thorax Rachael Moses and Professor David Thickett (Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, UK) and read the study 'Pro-inflammatory effects of e-cigarette vapour condensate on human alveolar' on the Thorax website: https://thorax.bmj.com/ You can subscribe to the Thorax Podcast in all major podcast Apps. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a podcast review at

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910?mt=2.

The recent development of triple CFTR modulation means that up to 90% of people with CF will be eligible for ‘highly effective’ CFTR modulator therapy. In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax, and Dr Peter Barry, Consultant Respiratory Physician, Manchester Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, discuss the long-term adherence to and effects of ivacaftor on lung function, weight and healthcare utilisation in people with cystic fibrosis and the Gly551Asp mutation.

Read the related paper: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/24/thoraxjnl-2020-215556

Thorax social media editor, Dr. Puja Mehta, caught up with several Respiratory consultants from across the UK at the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Winter Meeting 2022, and asked them the question, 'What makes the Winter BTS meeting special?' Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

In this podcast Dr Janice Higginson talks to Dr Helena Anderson from Oslo University Hospital about her recent paper published in Rheumatology. The paper is a retrospective review of research done into rituximab's effect on the rare Antisynthetase Syndrome.

Multimedia Editor of Thorax, Rachael Moses, interviews Dr Sonali Bose, Faculty in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine, New York. They discuss the relationship between western diet, particularly increased advanced glycation end product and meat consumption, in childhood wheeze and the public health implications of the findings. Read the related articles: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/11/22/thoraxjnl-2020-216109

https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/11/25/thoraxjnl-2020-216369

Dr. Kate Diomede, social media editor at Thorax, speaks with Dr. Anna Podolanczuk(1) and Dr. John Kim(2) about their article, "MUC5B, telomere length and longitudinal quantitative interstitial lung changes: the MESA Lung Study", published in Thorax: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2022/08/04/thorax-2021-218139 Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. (1) Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA (2) Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA This episode was produced by Letícia Amorim and edited by Brian O'Toole.

If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

We discuss the viral load of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the potential protracted course of COVID-19 infection than initially thought. The data within this study further supports the use of face masks in the community to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Read the paper: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/28/thoraxjnl-2020-215042

In this podcast, Multimedia Editor of Thorax Rachael Moses, discusses with Dr Magnus Ekstrom, Lund University, Sweden, the key findings of a population-based study investigating the relationship between increased body mass index with breathlessness and lung function. Read the paper on the Thorax website: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/74/10/958.

Thorax deputy editor Paul Cullinan talks to David Coggon, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, about pneumococcal vaccination for welders.

Read the full article: http://goo.gl/p3qN8s

In this episode Dr. Kate Diomede, social media editor at Thorax, speaks with Prof. Andrew Bush(1) about the state of paediatric treatment for thoracic issues, including discussion of cystic fibrosis and asthma. Hear the previous discussion with Prof. Ian Hall on the future of respiratory medicine: https://on.soundcloud.com/yb7pJ (1) Consultant paediatric chest physician at Royal Brompton Hospital; Professor of paediatric respirology, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London. Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

In this episode, Thorax social media editor Dr. Puja Mehta speaks with Professor Ian Hall, Director of the Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and the University of Nottingham about his paper "Respiratory Research in the UK: investing for the next 10 years". They discuss some of the biggest challenges facing respiratory research in the UK, and why respiratory diseases need more investment. Read the paper here: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/77/9/851 Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

Dr. Kate Diomede, social media editor at Thorax, is joined by Prof. Nick Hopkinson(1) to delve into the history of smoking policy in the UK, as well as detailing the lay of the land in current smoking-cessation practices, especially pertaining to vaping. Hear the previous discussion with Prof. Andrew Bush on recent developments in paediatric therapy: https://on.soundcloud.com/PY9Nz (1) Prof. of Respiratory Medicine, Imperial College London, Respiratory Consultant, Royal Brompton Hospital, Associate Editor of Thorax, Chair of ASH (Action on Smoking in Health) UK Charity https://twitter.com/COPDdoc Relevant papers and references:

Millennium cohort – child smoking uptake related to parents and peers smoking https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30442657/

Confirming the impact of standardised packaging https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33093164/ 

Effectiveness of ban on smoking in cars with children https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31988266/ 

Smoking and increased risk from COVID https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33402392/ 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34580193/

Javed Khan’s independent report commissioned by UK Govt: Making Smoking Obsolete https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-khan-review-making-smoking-obsolete/making-smoking-obsolete-summary

Cochrane systematic review suggests vaping is more effective for smoking cessation than NRT https://www.cochrane.org/CD010216/TOBACCO_can-electronic-cigarettes-help-people-stop-smoking-and-do-they-have-any-unwanted-effects-when-used

Recent evidence update on risk of vaping for OHID concludes, “vaping poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking.” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update-summary

NICE guidance on nicotine vapes to help smokers quit https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng209/chapter/recommendations-on-treating-tobacco-dependence#stop-smoking-interventions

British Thoracic Society guidance on tobacco harm reduction https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/document-library/governance-and-policy-documents/position-statements/tobacco-and-smoking-march-2020/

National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training https://www.ncsct.co.uk/publication_Support_stop_vaping.php

Cigarette Smoking: An Assessment of Tobacco's Global Environmental Footprint Across Its Entire Supply Chain https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.8b01533

ASH: Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) among young people in Great Britain https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-e-cigarettes-among-young-people-in-Great-Britain-2022.pdf

Competing interests: None declared.

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax, is joined by Dr Makiko Kanai, National Hospital Organisation Kyoto Medical Center, Japan, to discuss how a smoking cessation pathway was trialed in a Japanese workplace using heated tobacco products. Listen to a related podcast on the SUR-VAPES Study (https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/the-sur-vapes-study?in=bmjpodcasts/sets/thorax) Links to related papers: https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215900 https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216253

https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216743

Smoking with children in a car has been illegal since 2015 in England and 2016 in Scotland. This podcast explores the importance and impact of this ban on children and the important message it gives to the public to ensure smoking rates continue to fall. Listen to the conversation between Rachael Moses and Dr Anthony Laverty, Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK and lead author of https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/01/08/thoraxjnl-2019-213998

We are delighted to present a podcast recording of an interview with Professor Ajit Lalvani to coincide with the TB special edition of Thorax in March. He describes the development of the FDA-approved, NICE and CDC-endorsed interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA, ELISpot, T-SPOT.TB) which he invented and validated as the first advance in diagnosis of latent TB in 100-years. He will discuss new findings using this assay published in the March issue of Thorax, and the prospects for improved immunodiagnostics in TB. Professor Lalvani is a superstar in this field and has contributed greatly to the TB special edition of Thorax. He is the chair of infectious diseases, co-chairman of the Section of Respiratory Infection of the National Heart and Lung Institute, and honorary consultant physician at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, St Mary’s Campus. He is a Wellcome Trust senior clinical research fellow and NIHR senior investigator.

Read the special issue: http://thorax.bmj.com/content/68/3.

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, talks to Professor James Trauer, Epidemiological Modelling Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Tuberculosis is the world’s leading infectious disease killer with the BCG vaccine being the only approved vaccine for its control. The paper on hand was a systematic review of studies looking at the effect of BCG vaccination on TB disease, including sub-categories of TB disease. They discuss what makes this review different and the potential implications of the findings.

Read the related articles: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/05/18/thoraxjnl-2020-216794

Ian Pavord talks to Scott Weiss, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, about his review on the genomic origins of asthma, which considers several areas where environmental exposures, genomics, development and asthma occurrence overlap.

Read the full review: http://goo.gl/KctouZ

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can result in significant morbidities including the cardiovascular, metabolic and neurocognitive systems. While great advances have been made in sleep medicine research in the past decades, there are still wide gaps in our knowledge concerning the exact underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of OSA and consequences.

A recent review in Thorax discusses the recent exciting discoveries in genotype-phenotype interactions, epigenetics, genomics and proteomics related to OSA. Thorax editor Andy Bush talks to co-author David Gozal, professor in the Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, about the highlights.

Read the full paper:

The promise of translational and personalised approaches for paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea: an ‘Omics’ perspective http://goo.gl/fKf28O

The study discussed in this podcast introduces evidence that supports a biological explanation behind the observed asthma discordance between males and females.

Read the paper on the Thorax website: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2019/01/29/thoraxjnl-2018-212207

In this podcast, Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor of Thorax BMJ, talks to Professor Lorenzo Loffredo, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. They discuss the impact of chronic use of heat-not-burn cigarettes on oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation. This is also known as the SUR-VAPES Chronic Study. Are these products safer than smoking? Listen to a related podcast on smoking cessation at work and heated tobacco (https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/smoking-cessation-at-work-do-heated-tobacco-products-work) Links to related papers: https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215900 https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216253

https://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216743

Welcome back to the Thorax Podcast, home to the discussion of new research and hot topics in respiratory research and clinical practice. In this first episode, we introduce you to the three new Editors of the Thorax journal: Dr. Mark Griffiths and Dr. Jennifer Quint, both from Imperial College London, and Dr. Cecilia O'Kane, from Queen's University Belfast. They outline plans for the Thorax journal, including the social media strategy and engaging readers and trainees. You'll also get to know a bit more about the two new social media editors of the journal, Dr. Puja Mehta, from University College London and Dr. Kate Diomede from Imperial College London, whose voices you'll get very familiar with over the coming months, as they are our two new podcast hosts. Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

If you enjoy the Thorax Podcast, please leave us a rating and a review on the Thorax Podcast page on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thorax-podcast/id343304910.

Assisted reproduction techniques might increase asthma risk in children conceived this way, a study published by Thorax concludes. Maria Magnus, Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, talks with Thorax podcast editor Rachel Moses about her research group findings, that you can also read for free at http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-211886.

A related editorial can also be found on the journal website (thorax.bmj.com).

This podcast discusses the exposure and potential viral carriage of healthcare workers in a large UK Hospital. It also discusses the impact of exposure, the importance of personal protective equipment and how we can use the findings ot help prepare for future pandemics.

Read the article on the Thorax website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215414

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s Journal Club editor) talks to Onno Mets (Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht) about his paper recently published in JAMA:

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1104554

In this podcast Rachael Moses, MultiMedia Editor Thorax BMJ talks to Ms Laura Hidalgo Armas, OSI Araba Hospital University, Vitoria, Spain. They discuss the effectiveness of a new vibrational positional device located on the forehead on reducing the apnea-hypopnea index and total sleep time in the supine position for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Links to related papers: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/04/21/thoraxjnl-2020-216167

A paper recently published in Thorax looks at the link between bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in lung transplant recipients and the proximity of a major road to their home.

In this podcast, two of the authors of that paper, Tim Narwot and Bart M Vanaudenaerde, talk to Paul Cullen about their research.

See also:

http://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2011/03/31/thx.2010.155192.abstract?

Each month we aim to bring you an insight into different areas of Thorax, and explain a bit about the editorial processes and decisions that go on behind the scenes.

In this podcast Dr Angshu Bhowmik talks to Thorax Editor Professor Wisia Wedzicha about her time as Thorax editor, and what steps to take to become an editor in a scientific journal.

Andrew Bush, Professor of Paediatric Respirology Imperial College London, talks to Fernando Martinez, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Arizona Respiratory Center at University of Arizona, about recent developements in the understanding of the link between childhood asthma and infection.

Welcome to the first Thorax podcast

Each month we aim to bring you an insight into different areas of Thorax, and explain a bit about the editorial processes and decisions that go on behind the scenes.

In this first podcast Dr Angshu Bhowmik talks to Thorax Editor Professor Wisia Wedzicha about the articles highlighted in December’s ‘Airwaves’

Welcome to the Thorax podcast

Each month we aim to bring you an insight into different areas of Thorax, and explain a bit about the editorial processes and decisions that go on behind the scenes.

In this podcast Dr Angshu Bhowmik talks to Thorax Editor Professor Wisia Wedzicha about the articles highlighted in January’s “Airwaves”. They also give some tips on writing a good paper.

In this inaugural Thorax journal club podcast, Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Dr Andres Floto (University of Cambridge) about how he’s confirmed long-term use of azithromycin in cystic fibrosis patients can lead to increased nontuberculous mycobacteria infections. Having recently had this work published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations, Dr Floto also explains the underlying machanism he identified for this.

See also:

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/46095

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Dr John Matthews (Genentech) about his New England Journal of Medicine published study into whether lebrikizumab, an interleukin-13 monoclonal antibody, can improve asthma control.

Dr Matthews explains the proposed mechanism behind the treatment and how they found it increased FEV1 in adults for whom inhaled glucocorticoids didn’t control their asthma - especially in those with high periostin levels.

Dr Matthews was involved in the Milly trial. This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only.

See also:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1106469

Jennifer Quint, Thorax’s Journal Club editor, talks to Subroto Paul, Division of Thorasic Surgery at New York Presbrytarian Hospital System, about his study comparing short-term postoperative outcomes following open and thoracoscopic lobectomy.

See also:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22826474

http://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2012/08/23/thoraxjnl-2012-202521.full

Jennifer Quint, Thorax’s Journal Club editor, talks to David Jablons, University of California San Francisco, and consultant for Life Technologies, about his assay to predict survival in resected non-squamous, non-small-cell lung cancer.

See also:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2961941-7/abstract

A combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and N-acetylcysteine has been widely used as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, however the safety and efficacy of this three-drug regimen is unknown. Jennifer Quint, Thorax’s Journal Club editor, talks to Fernando Martinez, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, about the controversy surrounding the question, and what his paper on it reveals.

See also:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1113354

Closing schools to restrict the spread of influenza during a pandemic is an idea oftern floated, but what effect does it actually have? Thorax’s Journal Club editor Jennifer Quint asks David Earn, professor of mathematics, McMaster University, what his work on the 2009 H1N1 outbreak in Alberta, Canada reveals.

See also:

http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1033342

Jennifer Quint, Thorax’s journal club editor, talks to Philipp Lepper, consultant physician, University Hospital of Saarland, Germany, about his study which revealed glucose levels can predict mortality in patients admitted with community acquired pneumonia.

See also:

http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3397

Benny Weksler, associate professor of surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, talks to Jennifer Quint, Thorax journal club editor, about surgery for small cell carcinoma of the lung.

See also:

http://ats.ctsnetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/94/3/889

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Pallav Shah (a respiratory physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital, UK) about his trial of airway bypass for patients with severe emphysema, recently published in the Lancet.

Dr Shah explains the procedure and how effective it was.

See also:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2961050-7/abstract

Only one treatment is licensed for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and this only in Europe. Luca Richeldi (Center for Rare Lung Diseases, University of Modena, Italy) describes his phase 2 trial of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor to see if it could be safely and effectively used in patients with the disease. Dr Richeldi’s research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

See also:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1103690

Many treatments available for smoking cessation are unaffordable for the majority of smokers, however cytisine is one exception. Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Robert West (Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London) about the mechanism of the drug and his research into its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Professor West’s trial was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

See also:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1102035

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s Journal Club editor) talks to Frank McKeon (Genome Institute of Singapore, Harvard Medical School) about his work into the extent of lung regeneration following catastrophic damage and the potential role of adult stem cells. Dr McKeon’s latest paper, published in Cell, examines airway regeneration in mice after H1N1 influenza infection.

See also:

http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674%2811%2901173-1

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Ann Joseph (Wexler Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota) about whether treating tobacco dependence as a chronic condition results in better short and long term quit rates.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components. Professor SK Sharma (head of the Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences) has investigated whether treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would modify these outcomes. Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s Journal Club editor) speaks to him about his results recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

See also:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1103944

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Paolo Macchiarini (professor in the Advanced Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm) about using bioartificial scaffolds to replace complex airway defects.

Professor Macchiarini was part of a team who replaced the airway of a tracheal cancer patient with a tailor-made bioartificial scaffold. Their paper was recently published in the Lancet:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2961715-7/abstract#cor1 ,

Jennifer Quint (Thorax’s journal club editor) talks to Dale Needham (associate professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) about his paper recently published in the BMJ:

See also:

http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2124

Welcome to the Thorax podcast

Each month we aim to bring you an insight into different areas of Thorax, and explain a bit about the editorial processes and decisions that go on behind the scenes.

In this podcast Dr Angshu Bhowmik talks to Thorax Editor Professor Wisia Wedzicha about the articles highlighted in March’s “Airwaves”. They also discuss the importance of trial registration.

Ian Pavord (Thorax editor) talks to Peter Gibson (professor of respiratory medicine, John Hunter Hospital, New South Wales, Australia) about non-eosinophilic asthma, particularly neutrophilic asthma.

They discuss the stability of the different inflammatory phenotypes, tools to recognise non-eosinophilic asthma, whether these patients benefit from inhaled steroids, and Professor Gibson’s paper investigating the relationship between H influenzae respiratory infection and neutrophilic asthma.

See also:

Combined Haemophilus influenzae respiratory infection and allergic airways disease drives chronic infection and features of neutrophilic asthma

We were delighted to speak to Professor John Britton about the research published in the October issue of Thorax, by his and other groups, on smoking in the young.

John is a chest physician, an epidemiologist and a former editor of Thorax. He is the director of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham. John has been a giant in tobacco research. He chaired the influential RCP Tobacco Advisory Group and played a major role in making the case for banning smoking in public places. Arguably, he has done more than anyone else in this country to limit tobacco exposure. We applaud his contribution.

Do hospitalised COVID-19 patients receiving treatment with CPAP and HFNOT present a significant added risk of viral contamination to the surrounding environment used by healthcare workers? And is there enough evidence to suggest or recommend levels of PPE that should be used for healthcare workers caring for patients on CPAP or HFNOT? Two of the main questions this short podcast addresses. Rachael Moses, Multimedia Editor Thorax BMJ, interviews Dr Chris Green, Consultant in Infectious Diseases & General (Internal) Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Read the two related papers: SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination from hospitalised patients with COVID-19 receiving aerosol-generating procedures - https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/01/thoraxjnl-2021-218035

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases: but do ‘aerosol generating’ procedures? - https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/10/thoraxjnl-2021-218133

Asthma prevalence is increasing around the world, and is theorised to be due to a number of environmental factors. One such factor is a sensitivity to house dust mite (HDM) allergens, which is common in asthma patients. Dr. Klaus Bønnelykke (1) joins the podcast to speak with Dr. Kate Diomede about this topic, following the publication of the paper, "Genetic and T2 biomarkers linked to the efficacy of HDM sublingual immunotherapy in asthma".

(1) Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Lung cancer screening in the UK has only been introduced in recent years, and its processes around smoking cessation guidance may have opportunities for improvement. Visiting the studio today is PhD student Parris Williams (1), to discuss the newly published Thorax research paper, "Immediate smoking cessation support during lung cancer screening: long-term outcomes from two randomised controlled trials" (https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2023/10/24/thorax-2023-220367). Along with social media editor Dr. Kate Diomede, Parris discusses what has been learnt from QuLIT (Quit smoking Lung health Intervention Trial) 1 & 2, and how patients might benefit from greater integration of smoking cessation support during targeted lung health checks.  

(1) National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Head and neck consultant Dr. Tobias Todsen (1) joins the podcast from Copenhagen to speak with social media editor Dr. Kate Diomede. The topic of conversation is the recent paper, "Higher SARS-CoV-2 detection of oropharyngeal compared with nasopharyngeal or saliva specimen for molecular testing: a multicentre randomised comparative accuracy study" (https://thorax.bmj.com/content/78/10/1028). They discuss the sensitivity of different test combinations, cultural inclinations for certain kinds of testing, and the cost implications of each approach.  

(1) Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Rigshospitalet – Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

A new clinical statement from the British Thoracic Society was recently published in Thorax. It describes a building-block approach for how to manage patients with tobacco dependency in a hospital setting. Thorax podcast host Dr. Kate Diomede speaks with two of the authors, Prof. Sanjay Agrawal (1) and Dr. Matthew Evison (2). 

Read the statement: Medical management of inpatients with tobacco dependency

Further reading:

• NCSCT online training
• NCSCT briefings and practice guidance

(1) Department of Respiratory Medicine, Glenfield Hospital, Institute for Lung Health, Leicester, UK

(2) Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dr. Wei Shen Lim (1) joins Thorax's podcast host and social media editor Dr. Kate Diomede to talk over the recent research paper, “Readmission following hospital admission for community-acquired pneumonia in England”.

Read the article here: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2023/07/28/thorax-2022-219925

(1) Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

A special journal club episode featuring guest-hosts Dr. Kristina Montemayor and Dr. David Furfaro of the PulmPEEPs. They're joined in conversation with Thorax education editor Dr. Christopher Turnbull, and Dr. Imran Howell, author of a recent journal club article in Thorax. Focussing on the theme of airway disease, they discuss the four papers in Imran's roundup, covering topics from nutritional impact on tuberculosis rates to infant vaccination against RSV.

Links:

• Journal club
• Blood eosinophil-guided oral prednisolone for COPD exacerbations in primary care in the UK (STARR2): a non-inferiority, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised controlled trial
• Nutritional supplementation to prevent tuberculosis incidence in household contacts of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in India (RATIONS): a field-based, open-label, cluster-randomised, controlled trial
• The airway microbiome mediates the interaction between environmental exposure and respiratory health in humans
• Respiratory syncytial virus infection during infancy and asthma during childhood in the USA (INSPIRE): a population-based, prospective birth cohort study

For more from the PulmPEEPs, visit their podcast's website. You can find them Twitter (@PulmPEEPs) and Instagram (pulmpeeps), and hear past episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

To submit a journal club article of your own, you can contact Chris directly - christopher.turnbull@ouh.nhs.uk

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

In a conversation touching on diet, fat distribution, and inflammatory pathways, Dr. Hayley Scott (1) speaks with host Dr. Kate Diomede about the recent paper, “Effect of obesity on airway and systemic inflammation in adults with asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis".

Read the article here: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/78/10/957 

(1) School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dr. Kate Diomede, podcast host and Thorax social media editor, is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Smith (1) to discuss a study on the longterm respiratory outcomes for survivors of very preterm birth, titled "Risk factors for poorer respiratory outcomes in adolescents and young adults born preterm."

Read the article here: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2023/05/18/thorax-2022-219634 

Find more info on the team's work at: https://walyanrespiratory.telethonkids.org.au/news-and-events/2023/may/WALHIP-young-adult-follow-up-study/

 

(1) Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Australia

 

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Socioeconomic deprivation is a driving factor in lung cancer rates. With the roll out of a national lung cancer screening programme in the UK, it's important that the right invitation strategies are used for reaching community members who may be at risk. This episode, Dr. Patrick Goodley (@patrick_goodley) joins host Dr. Kate Diomede to discuss the recent paper, "Invitation strategies and participation in a community-based lung cancer screening programme located in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation." Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dr. Kate Diomede, podcast host and Thorax social media editor, is joined by Prof. Najib Rahman (1) and Prof. Nick Maskell (2) to discuss the July 2023 update of the British Thoracic Society's guideline for treatment of pleural disease. This document was last updated in 2010, and now accounts for the high quality data provided by more recent trials, as well as modern practices informed by those.

Read the guideline here: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/78/Suppl_3/s1

(1) Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit, Oxford University, UK

(2) Academic Respiratory Unit, Bristol University, UK

 

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The growing use of artificial stone has seen the emergence of an aggressive, progressive respiratory disease, which is causing silicosis in young people. Dr. Johanna Feary¹ ² joins Thorax's Dr. Kate Diomede in the studio, to discuss. They talk through some the UK's earliest cases, the background to this phenomenon, international response, and the broader history of silicosis as a disease.

Links:

• Artificial stone silicosis: a UK case series
• Relationship between cumulative silica exposure and silicosis: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis 

1. National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK 2. Department of Occupational Lung Disease, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

There are many factors which might contribute to asthma patients not adhering to their medication, such as access to services, or convenience of use. One well-known and important barrier in the United States is simply cost. Thorax social media editor Dr. Kate Diomede speaks to Dr. Chun-Tse Hung¹, Dr. Steven Erickson²,  and Prof. Chung-Hsuen Wu¹, the authors of a recent study on the subject.

 

Read the paper: Cost-related non-adherence to medications among adults with asthma in the USA, 2011–2022 

 

1. School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

2. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

The PulmPEEPs are back with another journal club episode. Dr. Kristina Montemayor and Dr. David Furfaro are joined by Thorax education editor Dr. Christopher Turnbull, and journal club author Dr. Ewan Mackay. They discuss a handful of selected papers focussing on COPD, covering the global impact of different household fuels on lung disease, early signs of CT changes in smokers before the detection of COPD, and a trial of treprostinil for the treatment of COPD related pulmonary hypertension.

Links:

• Journal club
• Estimated health effects from domestic use of gaseous fuels for cooking and heating in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analyses
• BEACON: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• A New Global Definition of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
• Inhaled treprostinil in pulmonary hypertension associated with COPD: PERFECT study results

For more from the PulmPEEPs, visit their podcast's website. You can find them Twitter (@PulmPEEPs) and Instagram (pulmpeeps), and hear past episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

To submit a journal club article of your own, you can contact Chris directly - christopher.turnbull@ouh.nhs.uk

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dr. Kate Diomede, social media editor at Thorax, is joined by Dr. Yasmin Thanavala (1) to discuss her group's recent research paper, "Not all vaping is the same: differential pulmonary effects of vaping cannabidiol versus nicotine". Their study used a using a mouse model of vaping and in vitro experiments with human cells. The paper is available online: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2023/04/02/thorax-2022-218743

Hear the previous discussion with Prof. Nick Hopkinson on policy relating to vaping and smoking: https://on.soundcloud.com/cjFhd

(1) Prof. Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA.

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

Lung conditions remain one of the biggest causes of death and cost the economy billions annually. Despite this they receive only 2.5% of total public research investment in the UK. The Asthma + Lung UK charity brought together a number of experts and stakeholders in an effort to improve the working approach to this problem. This group published a letter in Thorax recently with a number of recommendations. One of the authors, Dr. Samantha Walker¹, joins the podcast.

Links:

• Fixing lung health in the UK: accelerating respiratory research and innovation
• Asthma + Lung UK

1. Research and Innovation, Asthma + Lung UK, London, UK Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

With no identified cause or cure, sarcoidosis is a challenging disease that has a heterogeneous presentation and an unpredictable clinical course. A recent paper in Thorax examined the outcomes for patients grouped by pulmonary function phenotypes, race and sex. First author for the study, Dr. Michelle Sharp¹, joins social media editor Dr. Kate Diomede to talk through the findings.

Read the paper: Pulmonary sarcoidosis: differences in lung function change over time

1. Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

What are the effects of high levels of social media consumption amongst young people? New research published in Thorax quantifies the impact that exposure to marketing on online platforms is having, showing a greater likelihood of smoking or vaping with greater time spent on these platforms. Thorax associate editor Prof. Nick Hopkinson (1) joins Dr. Kate Diomede to discuss the paper's findings.

Read the paper: Association of time spent on social media with youth cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use in the UK: a national longitudinal study  (1) Prof. of Respiratory Medicine, Imperial College London, Respiratory Consultant, Royal Brompton Hospital, Associate Editor of Thorax, Chair of ASH (Action on Smoking in Health) UK Charity https://twitter.com/COPDdoc

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dr. Kate Diomede, social media editor at Thorax, is joined by Dr. Sam Janes (1) to discuss the history of lung cancer screening, and its use in early detection. They also examine the process and results of his recent paper, "Growing small solid nodules in lung cancer screening: safety and efficacy of a 200 mm3 minimum size threshold for multidisciplinary team referral". The paper is available online: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/78/2/202

(1) Lungs for Living Research Centre, UCL Respiratory, University College London, UK.

Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - @Thorax.BMJ · Pulmonologist) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month.

What impact do reproductive events, like menarche, miscarriage or menopause have on female lung health? Prof. Gita Mishra (1) joins Thorax host Dr. Kate Diomede to discuss this question. They consider how recurrent fertility issues can point to an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease later in life, and how variance in oestrogen levels throughout the lifespan affect lung development. The conversation is centred around the recently-published study, "Female Reproductive Histories and the Risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease" (https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2023-220388).

(1) School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Australia Relevant links:

A Life Course Approach to Women's Health (2nd ed): https://academic.oup.com/book/46697 Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.