ATS Breathe Easy

Cities are working to make congestion zones safer for their populations, especially for sensitive groups like children and those with respiratory conditions. Emilia Simeonova, PhD, John Hopkins University, and James Scales, PhD, Queen Mary University of London, discuss how decisions made in major metropolises like New York City, Stockholm, and London affect the quality of air and overall health of individuals. Hosted by Erika Moseson, MD, host of the Air Health Our Health podcast. This episode highlights the research of clean air zones and the challenges that arise during the process of implementing these changes.

Tuberculosis is a difficult, infectious respiratory disease, and patients often have a low quality of life. Organizations like the ATS and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) are looking to combat health inequities and support patient communities. However, due to recent funding cuts, future research on tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases are in jeopardy. Host Patti Tripathi and Executive Director of The Union Cassandra Kelly-Cirino, PhD, discuss the effect of these funding cuts and what it will take to continue supporting research and patients alike.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition that affects millions globally, causing daytime sleepiness, lack of oxygen, and higher risks of developing cardiac issues. A new randomized control trial, called the Pavlov study, evaluated the efficacy and long-term conditioning effects of a positional therapy device for treating positional obstructive sleep apnea. Irene Cano-Pumarega, MD, PhD, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, discusses how she and her team developed the study, the initial results, and what future positional treatments for OSA could look like on this episode of the ATS Breathe Easy podcast.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and often fatal lung disease, which has unknown causes and no cure. But researchers are working tirelessly to uncover more about this deadly disease. On this episode of the ATS Breathe Easy podcast, host Patti Tripathi interviews pulmonologist and transplant specialist Steven Nathan, MD, about advances in the treatment IPF, the importance of earlier diagnosis, ongoing challenges in treatment and lung transplantation, and promising results from the Phase 3 TETON clinical trials of inhaled treprostinil, which could become a fourth approved therapy for IPF. This episode is sponsored by United Therapeutics.

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a rare genetic disorder that causes albinism, bleeding problems, and a high risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis. However, patients with HPS provide an important population for researchers looking for biomarkers that predict the onset and progression of pulmonary fibrosis. On this ATS Breathe Easy podcast episode, expert Resat Cinar, PhD, MBA, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and patient advocate and founder of the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Donna Appell, RN, discuss how HPS has helped researchers better understand pulmonary fibrosis, and how research on rare diseases can generate insights that benefit much larger patient populations.