American Thoracic Society's 97th International Conference meets in San Francisco May 18 - 23

New research results on pulmonary and critical care medicine to be presented during International Scientific Conference

SAN FRANCISCO--New research findings and state-of-the-art overview sessions related to pulmonary disorders and critical care medicine will be featured during ATS 2001; San Francisco, the American Thoracic Society’s 97th International Conference scheduled for May 18 - 23 at the Moscone Convention Center.

During the meeting, more than 15,000 pulmonary and critical care physicians, scientists, nurses, therapists, health educators, medical administrators, and policy-makers from throughout the world will hear and discuss more than 5,500 original research presentations.

Informational updates will be given by world-renowned experts on topics such as the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer, asthma, allergies, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, genetics and lung disease, sleep disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and various other illnesses of the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, as well as treatments for the critically ill patient.

Among the original research findings to be presented at the meeting are the following abstracts:

• Investigators studying individual food intake and the occurrence of self-reported wheeze, doctor diagnosed asthma, and lung function in a cross sample of 2,633 adults in Great Britain discovered that those with a higher intake of apples (more than five per week) and tomatoes (consumption more than three days per week) had better lung function test results.
• Approximately 15 percent of smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD) while the majority of smokers do not. This study revealed that a vegetable intake greater than one portion per day almost halved the risk of COPD. In addition, one apple per day was also seen to be protective.
• Utilizing data from the Children’s Health Study of respiratory health in 12 southern California communities, researchers found that a high body mass index (BMI) was associated with an increased risk of a new diagnosis of asthma. In fact, children who were in the highest quintile of BMI were twice as likely to have a new diagnosis of asthma than children from the lowest BMI quintile.
• Using a new treatment for severe sepsis called Activated Protein C, investigators showed that the compound, known as rhAPC, was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the death rate from sepsis.
• Researchers tested a novel dry powder formulation designed to provide insulin to the deep lung. Control of sugar in the blood (glycemia) and pulmonary function was maintained by the formulation over the entire 24-month period for a broad cohort of diabetics using the system.
• Since 1988, the prevalence of smoking in California has dropped by 27 percent and the number of cigarettes sold per adult has declined by 45 percent. Had the rates in other U.S. states fallen as much as California, about 80,000 cumulative deaths from COPD,16,000 early widowhoods, and $5 billion in early terminal care costs would have been avoided.
• When asthmatic children with high levels of involuntary smoke exposure were compared to young people with low levels, those with high levels were more likely to suffer from moderate to severe asthma, to have six or more school absence days in the previous year, and to have had a visit to a physician for their asthma in the previous year.
• In a study of 277,428 older persons in the Netherlands, flu vaccination was associated with a 48 percent reduction in the rate of hospitalization for pneumonia or flu over two seasons.
• Researchers showed that exposure to two or more cats and dogs during the first year of life reduces a child’s risk of inherited allergic response (atopy) and leads to better lung function in boys.
• The results of the first National Allergen Survey showed that 22 million U.S. homes have dust mites in their beds at a level associated with symptomatic asthma.
• Outdoor air pollution associated with tiny particulate matter was shown to contribute to infant mortality in eight large U.S. cities.
• The U.S. population is at higher risk for sleep apnea (35.6 percent) than Europeans 26.1 percent). After studying 6,245 questionnaires directed at uncovering clinical symptoms related to sleep and breathing disorders, the researchers concluded that one-third of primary care patients in the U.S. and Europe have a high pretest probably of having Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Hypopnea Syndrome.

In addition to the many research findings to be presented at the meeting, the conference will feature:

• A wide range of symposiums, including those on such topics as: new insights in agricultural exposure as a cause of respiratory disease; complementary and alternative health beliefs directed at asthma; COPD: new insights from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial; new treatment modalities in shock; fire smoke: exposure and health impacts; depression and anxiety in the patient with chronic lung disease; the leading edge of sepsis research; progress in randomized clinical trials for sleep-disordered breathing;psychosocial factors affecting asthma morbidity among the urban poor; diagnosis and management of viral respiratory tract infection; and a host of other topics.

The Clinical Topics in Pulmonary Medicine Track which will include such topics as:

• The pathophysiology of and therapeutic interventions for the aging lung; management of lung transplantation; controversies in COPD; effective management of community-acquired pneumonia; new therapies in interstitial lung diseases; sepsis and multi-organ systems dysfunction; non-pulmonary critical care; advanced acute respiratory distress syndrome; and progress in pulmonary vascular disease.
• The Critical Care Track, which includes such subjects as: outcomes for survivors of ARDS; controversies in critical care; prevention and management of antimicrobial resistance in the intensive care unit; inhaled therapy in the mechanically ventilated patient; and new advances in non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in acute respiratory failure.
• “Meet the Professor” Seminars and Clinical Workshops, lunch sessions which provide registrants with an opportunity to discover state-of-the-art clinical techniques and research information from respective leaders in the field.

The meeting’s Advance Program, registration forms, and more than 5,500 original scientific abstracts are available online at http://www.thoracic.org