Chest
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Potential Disparities by Sex and Race or Ethnicity in Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility Rates.
Criteria for low-dose CT scan lung cancer screening vary across guidelines. Knowledge of the eligible pool across demographic groups can enable policy and programmatic decision-making, particularly for disproportionately affected populations. ⋯ Screening eligibility rates vary widely across guidelines, with disparities evident in E-I ratios, including among non-Hispanic Black men, despite higher lung cancer burden. Consideration of smoking duration in risk assessment criteria may address current disparities.
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Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Progesterone in Addition to Standard of Care Versus Standard of Care Alone in the Treatment of Men Hospitalized with Moderate to Severe COVID-19: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial.
Severity of illness in COVID-19 is consistently lower in women. A focus on sex as a biological factor may suggest a potential therapeutic intervention for this disease. We assessed whether adding progesterone to standard of care (SOC) would improve clinical outcomes of hospitalized men with moderate to severe COVID-19. ⋯ Progesterone at a dose of 100 mg, twice daily by subcutaneous injection in addition to SOC, may represent a safe and effective approach for treatment in hypoxemic men with moderate to severe COVID-19.
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Abnormal weights, eg, obesity, has shown a strong modifying effect on the association between air pollution exposure and lung function impairment in adults. ⋯ Exposure to low to moderate levels of air pollution was associated with lung function impairment for adolescents with abnormal weight. Longer exposure aggravated the adverse effect. Whether a critical exposure window since birth exists warrants further exploration.
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A 72-year-old woman, nonsmoker, presented with approximately 2 months of nonproductive cough. The cough was initially intermittent, occurred more regularly during bedtime, but gradually became more frequent throughout the day with no reported triggering factors. The remaining review of associated symptoms was negative; she did not complain of shortness of breath, fever, chest pain, muscle weakness, weight loss, night sweats, or fatigue. ⋯ Patient was free of disease on follow up from her endocrinologist, to optimize levothyroxine treatment. Her regular prescription included statins. Her professional occupation was not related to special exposure, and she reported no alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, or any recent travel.
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Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is prescribed to millions of women worldwide. Previous studies have suggested that HRT has both protective and harmful effects in asthma. ⋯ HRT seems to play a role in the development of asthma in mature women. Clinicians prescribing HRT and women receiving HRT should be aware that new airway symptoms can develop, and discontinuation of HRT should be considered.