Emphysema

Emphysema is a debilitating disease that afflicts more than three million Americans. The disease is caused primarily by smoking and leads to a progressive, irreversible breakdown of lung tissue.

Emphysema Pathophysiology, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Emphysema is a chronic or long term lung disease. This disease is typically called hyperinflation.

Emphysema Pathology and Function

Latest Emphysema News and Research

New synthetic lung surfactant could revolutionize treatment for premature babies

Scientists have developed a new lung surfactant that is produced synthetically rather than relying on the use of animal tissues.

25 Mar 2024

Research uncovers link between reproductive factors and COPD risk in women

A range of reproductive factors, including age when periods first start and an early menopause, are all linked to a heightened risk of COPD—the umbrella term for progressive lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties—finds research published online in the journal Thorax.

14 Feb 2024

The FTC is attacking drugmakers’ ‘patent thickets’

The Federal Trade Commission has challenged the validity of over 100 drug product patents, focusing on devices used to deliver medicines, like inhalers and autoinjectors, in an effort to increase competition and potentially lower some prices.

31 Jan 2024

Morphine shows potential as effective cough therapy for pulmonary fibrosis, study finds

The efficacy of the controlled release of low-dose morphine as treatment against that of a placebo in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

18 Jan 2024

Study points to senolytic drugs as potential weapon against lung emphysema

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 23, entitled, "Benidipine calcium channel blocker promotes the death of cigarette smoke-induced senescent cells and improves lung emphysema."

20 Dec 2023

IASLC publishes key considerations for managing low-dose CT lung cancer screening programs

Annual low-dose CT screening has been recently shown to result in high cure rates of over 80%, but methods of conducting a lung cancer screening program vary and best practices have yet to emerge.

20 Dec 2023

Daily beetroot juice supplement improves blood pressure and walking distance in COPD patients

A 12-week course of daily beetroot juice supplement for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lowered blood pressure and improved how far patients could walk in six minutes in research published today (Wednesday) in the European Respiratory Journal.

19 Dec 2023

Combined marijuana and cigarette smoking may increase lung damage

Smoking marijuana in combination with cigarettes may lead to increased damage of the lung's air sacs, according to research being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

28 Nov 2023

Study provides insights into the epidemiology and genetics of clonal hematopoiesis

A comprehensive new study from deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, published today in Nature Genetics, provides insights into the epidemiology and somatic and germline genetics of clonal hematopoiesis.

7 Nov 2023

Augmentation therapy can save lives of people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, study shows

Boosting levels of a deficient protein has clear survival benefits for people with the genetic condition alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), according to new research led by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

1 Nov 2023

Stem cells can be used to repair damaged lung tissue in COPD patients

For the first time, researchers have shown it is possible to repair damaged lung tissue in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using the patients' own lung cells.

12 Sep 2023

Rutgers scientists discover first lipid vascular 'zip code' in the lungs

Researchers at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), together with other collaborating groups, have discovered the first lipid vascular 'ZIP code' in the lungs.

16 Aug 2023

American Heart Association calls for more research on e-cigarettes

Research increasingly reveals health risks of e-cigarette use, and more studies are needed about the long-term impact e-cigarettes may have on the heart and lungs, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published today in the Association's flagship journal Circulation.

17 Jul 2023

New research finds COPD diagnosis gap in African Americans

Recently published research suggests that despite showing clear symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), many African Americans are not officially diagnosed with the disease due to flaws in diagnosis methods.

11 Jul 2023

Photon-counting CT protocol shows promise for lung imaging

New CT technology allows for a comprehensive, simultaneous evaluation of lung structure and function, something not possible with standard CT, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

11 Jul 2023

Reseachers use CT scans to track the progression of emphysema over time

Researchers at National Jewish Health evaluating computerized tomography (CT) scans of emphysema progression in the COPDGene® study showed that, during a span of 10 years, participants with pre-existing emphysema who continued smoking had the largest decline in adjusted lung density (ALD).

23 May 2023