In Canada, as well as globally, chronic pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The disease—which causes inflammation of the lungs and makes it more difficult to breathe—is life-changing for patients and their families. In more severe cases, trips to the emergency room and regular hospital admissions are all too frequent, putting a great deal of strain on patients, families and the health care system. 

Colourful flowers and tiny buds may be a welcome sign of spring for some. For hay fever suffers, they warn of pending congestion and blooming allergy symptoms. Our researcher and toxicologist Dr. Karen Bartlett has some sage advice to help you cope this allergy season.  

Many people are familiar with toxins—the potentially harmful products found in nature, such as snake venom or poisonous mushrooms. Less might be familiar with toxicants, the man-made products introduced to the environment through human activity. 

Rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) are typically higher in northern countries, where sunlight is in shorter supply. These rates have led researchers to consider increased sunlight exposure—particularly in the form of ultraviolet or UV-B rays—as a possible prevention for this autoimmune disease. But the specifics of this relationship remain poorly understood. A new research study by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Helen Tremlett provides more details about the sunlight-MS connection.

It is a condition that affects one in 10 girls and women during their reproductive years, and VCH Research Institute researcher Dr. Michael Anglesio and colleagues have uncovered new clues about how it affects cells in the body.

Endometriosis is the development of uterine-lining tissues outside the uterus. It is often associated with pelvic pain, heavier periods and sometimes infertility. It is a benign condition and exceptionally common, but can also be a precursor to the development of cancer in rare cases.

Up to now, clinical trials and research studies have—to a great extent—relied on male participants. However, a first-of-its-kind study led by VCH Research Institute researchers Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose and Cindy Barha shows how important insights into treatments are lost when female subjects are bypassed.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder in Canada, and if left untreated can result in strokes and even death. With AF, the heart does not beat in a strong, regular contraction—it “quivers” in a rapid and irregular manner. AF is a costly disease to treat, with many patients requiring expensive medicine, acute care visits, and interventions. 

Patients can now know whether they have treatment-resistant prostate cancer from a simple blood test—giving clinicians additional time to administer alternative therapies. The promising finding is a result of a new study co-authored by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researcher Dr. Alexander Wyatt. 

“This research lets us know if a patient is unlikely to respond to some of the most common treatments for prostate cancer.”