How Pets Benefit Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients

For those of you who are animal lovers, you probably already know that pets can be remarkable companions through illness, injury, loss or throughout any type of recovery period. There are many testimonials and personal stories online about how pets have helped a patient through chronic illness, injury or even…

An anti-inflammatory agent known as ulinastatin decreases pulmonary fibrosis, and at high doses may protect against lung tissue scarring, a study in rats showed. The research, “Therapeutic effect of ulinastatin on pulmonary fibrosis via downregulation of TGF‑β1, TNF‑α and NF‑κB,” was published in the journal Molecular Medicine Reports.

Last week, my husband and I met with a palliative care nurse. A few weeks ago, I shared in another column my frustration with seeking palliative care. Our meeting with this nurse was very helpful. I’ll share what I learned, and I hope it will…

A recent study found that around half of the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients surveyed had not been fully informed about their treatment by their health care team, yet 93 percent of respondents said they wanted to learn about treatments and therapies directly from their doctor rather than other sources. Understanding how…

Everyone diagnosed with a life-threatening disease or chronic illness can have a different experience as a patient. Many factors might cause this, including how involved patients are or want to be in their medical care, the expertise of their physicians, and how rapidly or invasive their disease becomes.

Veracyte has published new data confirming the analytical validity of its Envisia Genomic Classifier to help diagnose idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Its study, “Analytical performance of Envisia: a genomic classifier for usual interstitial pneumonia,” appeared in the journal BMC Pulmonary Medicine. The 190-gene Envisia Genomic Classifier helps physicians distinguish between IPF and…

In memory of his father, who lived many years with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), Chicago Bears’ Jordan Howard will wear luminous blue-and-green cleats to support the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) when he takes to the field Sunday, Dec. 3. The PFF is chosen by Howard for the second year in…

For those of you who know me personally, you likely are aware that I am excited about an upcoming trip to celebrate my 30th birthday. More than the fact that it’s my birthday, I am looking forward to this trip because it not only is a vacation from…

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation has released a series of educational materials designed to help patients and caregivers manage the disease. The information is also available to nurses and doctors who may find themselves looking after PF patients.

A team of researchers discovered that a protein called RAGE can fix damage inflicted to DNA molecules, and also repair lung scarring in mice. The study reporting the findings, “Homeostatic nuclear RAGE-ATM interaction is essential for efficient DNA repair,” was published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.