Advances in Clinical Science (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 878)

The book presents the latest developments in clinical medicine, particularly involved with pulmonary care and diseases. Emphasis is placed on the role of childhood obesity, often a result of the ill effects of an unhealthy diet and nutritional deficits, in shaping propensity for inflammatory pathologies, allergies, immune deficiency and respiratory and cardiovascular sequelae in adult life. Oxidative damage, caused by not full well understood cellular biochemistry, when unchecked by antioxidative rescue mechanisms, takes toll on a respiratory health. The book underscores the need to consider the complexity of mutual interactions of pathophysiological processes, which calls for tailoring the management strategies depending on the subgroups which patients belong to, be it obesity, children or elderly. The chapters also tackle biological diseases with genetic underpinnings. The application of genetics to identify the molecular alterations or mutations will serve well both diagnostics and targeted optimization of treatment; the poignant exemplar being the histological subtypes of lung cancer. The book provides a source of current facts and trends in clinical research and practice. Read more