22/03/2022 - Press release
In contrast, exposure to environmental pollutants such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and soot significantly increases the risk of suffering an ischaemic stroke. The article in the journal Environment International, one of the most important studies published to date in Europe, analysed data from the entire population in Catalonia, geo-referencing more than three and a half million people. The authors consider that these results mean that the maximum levels of atmospheric pollutants established by the EU need to be reconsidered. The risk of suffering an ischaemic stroke, the most common type of cerebrovascular event, is 16% less in people who have green spaces less than 300 metres from their homes. This has been revealed in a joint study by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Hospital del Mar, the Catalan Health Quality and Assessment Agency (AQuAS) from the Catalan Government's Department of Health and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre promoted by the "la Caixa" Foundation. It is the most important work in this field to date in Europe, analysing data on the entire population of Catalonia between 2016 and 2017.
Més informació "Living near green areas reduces the risk of suffering a stroke by 16%"
09/11/2021 - Press release
A multicentre study published in the journal Biomedicines led by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute reveals that bronchiectasis affects women less severely than it does men. This is a highly prevalent lung disease that causes abundant accumulation of secretions in the lungs The study analysed data from more than 2,000 patients from the Spanish Computerised Registry of Patients with Bronchiectasis (RIBRON). A second study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, determines the role of eosinophils, immune system cells, as predictors of severity in this type of patient
19/10/2021 - Press release
Activating a molecule present in the membrane of NK lymphocytes (Natural Killer cells) makes them resistant to the immunosuppressive mechanisms of HER2-positive breast tumours and enhances their antitumour action. Combining standard treatments for HER2-positive breast cancer with drugs that target this molecule in NK cells could increase their clinical efficacy. This paves the way for a new approach to treating this type of tumour with immunotherapy This has been demonstrated in a collaborative study led by researchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, published in the journal Cancer Immunology Research
1/10/2021 - Press release
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who also suffer from a blood iron deficiency significantly improve their physical fitness if they receive supplements of this mineral. This is a new approach to the disease, which has been validated by the first studies published in Spain in this field and the largest in the world, to date, involving 66 patients. The work, derived from the FACE-Ferinject Assessment study on improving Exercise Tolerance in patients suffering COPD and iron deficiency, was carried out by doctors and researchers in the Pneumology Department at Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and has been published in the journals Archivos de Bronconeumología and Biomedicines.
Més informació "Iron supplements improve physical fitness and quality of life in COPD patients"
15/12/2020 - Press release
DNA damage levels and the activity of the polymerase enzyme responsible for cell repair (PARP) increase in lung tumours in patients suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not in people who do not have this pathology. This is reflected in work by researchers from the CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) and doctors and researchers from the Hospital del Mar Pneumology Service and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute research group on muscle wasting and cachexia in chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), published in the journal Cancers This research is of enormous importance given that treating lung cancer with PARP enzyme inhibitors (already in clinical use for other tumours, such as breast and ovarian cancers) is preferentially indicated for patients with an underlying respiratory disease, while the response in people with no COPD is highly controversial.
Més informació "The presence of COPD, a determining factor in lung cancer treatment"
18/12/2020 - Press release
The journal Neurology has just published the most complete and exhaustive study to date on the survival rate and sequelae of patients who suffer a ruptured brain aneurysm, a disease known as subarachnoid haemorrhage. The work was carried out by doctors at Hospital del Mar (from the Neurology, Neurosurgery, Intensive Medicine, Interventional Neuroradiology, Radiology and Anaesthesia and Resuscitation services) and researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM). The results show that the strategy implemented in Catalonia to cover emergency care for this condition produces results comparable to those of the most advanced centres in the world. The data analysed corresponds to 311 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage treated at Hospital del Mar over the last 12 years. The short-term mortality rate is between 8.7% (one week after treatment, during the hospitalisation period), and 18.4% (after three months). One year after the vascular event, this figure reaches 22.9% and, five years later, 29%. Only 7% of the patients who survived after five years presented disabling sequelae. According to several studies, deaths from this pathology around the world are between 11% and 27.5% in hospital and over 30% after three months.
Més informació "Only 7% of patients treated for a brain aneurysm suffer long-term sequelae"
17/11/2020 - Press release
Nutritional parameters such as body mass index and tests including albumin and total protein levels quantified prior to lung cancer surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) predict their 10 year survival, regardless of tumour-related factors and/or chest surgery. This is reflected in the work of researchers from the CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) and doctors and researchers from the Hospital del Mar Pneumology Service and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute research group on muscle wasting and cachexia in chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), published in the journal of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) Archivos de Bronconeumología. The researchers studied the nutritional status of lung cancer and COPD patients who required surgery and the relationship of this with post-operative survival. To do this, they analysed the nutritional status of 125 patients from Hospital del Mar, 87 of whom had COPD and lung cancer and 38 of whom had cancer but no COPD, before they underwent chest surgery. The patients were monitored for 10 years in order to study their differential survival rates according to the presence or absence of COPD.
15/10/2020 - Press release
They believe that the treatment currently used in many cases, based solely on short-acting bronchodilators like the well-known Ventolin, may increase the risk of severe asthma attacks. This is revealed by a study published in the journal Archivos de Bronconeumología. They advocate the use of inhaled corticoids, which is also the treatment recommended by the international Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Asthma is increasingly prevalent and affects 5-10% of the general population. Unfortunately, the decline in associated mortality has slowed in recent years. In the current context, characterised by the COVID-19 epidemic, there is no evidence that suffering asthma implies a more severe form of COVID-19.
24/07/2020 - Press release
One simple call to go over colonoscopy preparation instructions 48 hours before an appointment increases test success by 11.5%. This has been demonstrated in a multi-centre study led by doctors and nurses from the Digestive Tract Service at Hospital del Mar and researchers from the Clinical and Translational Research Group on Colorectal Neoplasia at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM). The work, published in the journal Endoscopy, analysed data from 657 patients from 11 Spanish hospitals. This is the first multi-centre study to analyse how an educational approach can improve colon preparation in people at high risk of not achieving this.
21/01/2020 - Press release
Cytomegalovirus infection is a highly prevalent pathology among patients who have undergone a kidney transplant. Studies carried out at the Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute indicate that it affects up to 30% of patients in the 6-month period following the operation. That is why finding elements that can act as infection risk markers for this virus is so important. A team of doctors from the hospital and researchers from the IMIM have demonstrated the role that one type of immune system cell, NK (Natural Killer) cells expressing a specific receptor (NKG2C), plays in predicting the risk of developing infection, complementing the existing conventional marker based on T-cell analysis.
© Institut Hospital del Mar
d'Investigacions MèdiquesLegal Notice and Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Site Index | Accessibility | Find Us | Contact
