Trending News Today: 1/3 of Clinical Trials Do Not Report Race of Participants

Researchers have found that inspiratory muscle training may be an option for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have declined pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), according to the American Journal of Managed Care. Ten participants with COPD who had declined PR performed 8 weeks of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) using the Powerbreathe K3 device, through which participants inhaled at a high velocity from residual volume total lung capacity 30 times, twice per day for 5 days each week. According to the article, the findings show that a randomized controlled trial is warranted to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of IMT in patients who decline PR, as well as to establish whether IMT can help to promote the uptake of PR among patients who initially declined the intervention.

One-third of the clinical trials that led to new cancer drugs approved between 2008 and 2018 did not report on the race of trial participants—and even studies that did report on race often had far fewer black and Hispanic patients with cancer than might be expected given the makeup of the patient population, according to STAT. The study looked at 230 clinical trials that supported oncology drugs approved by the FDA, of which only 145 reported on at least 1 race of trial participants and 18 of which broke the data down by the 4 major racial groups (white, Asian, black, and Hispanic) in the United States. The study authors say their findings highlight a clear need for better reporting and representation in cancer trials sponsored by the drug industry, according to the article.

At least 15 states have identified more than 120 cases of lung disease or injury that could be linked to vaping, according to a recent survey of health departments through CNN. States with the most cases include Wisconsin, with 15 confirmed and 15 more under investigation. Illinois has 10 confirmed cases, while 12 more are under investigation, the article reported. Health officials in multiple states told CNN it is still unclear whether there's a connection between the cases or whether vaping definitively caused these illnesses or hospitalizations.