Chest Physician

Sami Hossri, MD, FCCP A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) boxed warning issued in 2020 for montelukast was associated with significant reductions in prescribing for asthma across all age groups, according to a recent study.1 The findings suggest that the agency’s strongest safety warning altered clinician prescribing behavior despite ongoing uncertainty about the drug’s neuropsychiatric risks.

Jesse Hall, MD Two of the most commonly used mucoactive therapies in ICUs—carbocisteine and nebulized hypertonic saline—failed to improve outcomes in patients with acute respiratory failure who were mechanically ventilated, and they were associated with important adverse events, according to findings from the MARCH trial recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.1 The multicenter study, led by Bronwen Connolly, PhD, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s...

Surya P. Bhatt, MD, MSPH A cohort study found that COPD is associated with substantial loss of life expectancy, ranging from less than a year for those with mild disease to more than seven years for those with very severe disease.1 “Despite COPD being a leading cause of death, robust general population estimates of life expectancy and years of life lost have been lacking,” said study lead author Surya P. Bhatt, MD, MSPH.

Brenda Hiu Yan Law, MD, MSc A cross-sectional study of nearly 1 million late-preterm and term births found that birth sites with lower levels of service—including those without pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, or obstetrics—were associated with higher odds of chest compressions.1 Advanced neonatal resuscitation interventions (ANRIs), defined as endotracheal intubation, chest compressions, and epinephrine administration, are rarely performed in late-preterm and term births.

Mausam Patel, MD Incidental findings occur in 15% to 30% of all diagnostic scans and in 20% to 40% of CT scans.1 Detection of these secondary abnormalities leads to clinician and patient anxiety, with surveys indicating that practitioners fall into costly and burdensome cascades of care.2 Pulmonary nodules are common incidental findings, and the introduction of low-dose CT (LDCT) screening has further increased incidence of lung nodule recognition.

John V. Agapian, MD, FCCP Whether celebrating a country’s win or protesting its defeat, large unruly crowds can necessitate the need for nonlethal force by law enforcement. Just a few months ago, almost 900 fans were arrested and 178 security personnel were injured during unrest in France following the Champions League final game. Thankfully, America emerged relatively unscathed from this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Clifford Mitchell, MD, MPH In the discourse around lung cancer prevention, clinicians are well-versed in talking with their patients about smoking history. But Clifford Mitchell, MD, MPH, explains how a conversation about radon testing can be just as vital—and just as straightforward. “Of the factors we know about lung cancer, the top two are controllable,” said Dr. Mitchell, Director of the Environmental Health Bureau at the Maryland Department of Health.

Harjinder Singh, MD Long-Term Fine Particulate Matter Constituents Exposure, Genetic Susceptibility, and Incident Sleep Apnea By Ge Yin, MBBS, and colleagues This prospective cohort study by Yin and colleagues indicates that long-term exposure to specific constituents of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) significantly increases the risk of incident sleep apnea. They evaluated the differential contributors to PM2.5 and found that sulfate accounted for 58% of the pollutant-associated risk.

There’s never been a better time to engage with emerging research at the CHEST Annual Meeting. A record-breaking 2,293 scientific abstracts and 3,800 case reports were submitted ahead of CHEST 2026, October 18 to 21 in Phoenix. The thousands of resulting oral, rapid-fire, and poster presentations will reveal novel findings, showcase fresh perspectives, spark exciting collaborations, and potentially even shape the future of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) can significantly impact lung and liver function, but a majority of individuals with this inherited disorder remain undiagnosed. However, new diagnostic algorithms and advances in therapy may revitalize AATD management. Experts will discuss these updates during the CHEST 2026 session Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: New Advancements in Diagnosis and Treatment on Monday, October 19, at 8 am MST in the Phoenix Convention Center.