Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

Latest Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

New study examines gender differences in prevalence and pathophysiology of COPD

A new study review authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. David Mannino examines the gender differences in the prevalence, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and how this information may ultimately be used to identify areas for future work.

4 Dec 2013

Obese patients receive needless respiratory treatment

Research from the USA shows that a substantial proportion of obese patients are prescribed bronchodilators, even after spirometry indicates a lack of lung obstruction.

3 Dec 2013

Lung volume reduction surgery: A great option for patients with severe emphysema

Every time Susan Fischer sees someone lugging around an oxygen container, she wants to pull them aside and tell them, "It can get better."

3 Dec 2013

BAL findings boost non-smoking COPD distinction

Research shows that smoking status, and not airway obstruction, determines the distribution of T cell subsets in bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

2 Dec 2013

Vitamin D status optimization could cut pneumonia cases

A large US population-based study confirms that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with the risk for community-acquired pneumonia.

2 Dec 2013

Call for greater beta blocker use in COPD

Researchers say that stubbornly low rates of beta-blocker prescribing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could be contributing toward increased mortality in these patients following myocardial infarction.

27 Nov 2013

QoL, BMI predict exacerbations in Japanese COPD patients

Analysis of a cohort of Japanese chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with a low exacerbation frequency shows that low body mass index and poor health-related quality of life independently predict flare ups of the disease.

21 Nov 2013

Smokers who quit faster may be able to lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths

Cigarette smokers who are over 65 years of age may be able to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths to the level of never-smokers when they quit faster than previously reported, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.

21 Nov 2013

Metal coil therapy may provide same benefits as major surgery for COPD

Brown was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema, the third leading cause of death in the United States, only behind heart disease and cancer. Right now, the only studied interventions that prolong life for patients with severe COPD are supplemental oxygen in people with low oxygen levels and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in appropriately selected individuals. Like most COPD patients, Brown was given medication but told there was no cure. He was 58 years old.

20 Nov 2013

6MWT does not reflect activity in primary care COPD patients

Researchers have found that functional exercise capacity does not reflect physical activity among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients treated in primary care.

18 Nov 2013

Study shows chronic diseases have strong negative impact on cancer survival rate

There are many people in this position and the number is increasing; cancer patients who not only have to fight against cancer, but also suffer from other diseases. So-called comorbidity is a large and growing problem, not least because we are becoming older and age increases the risk of contracting cancer as well as other diseases.

16 Nov 2013

LLN spirometry inadequate to detect airflow obstruction

Research published in Thorax indicates that use of a lower limit of normal spirometric threshold fails to identify a number of patients with airflow obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

14 Nov 2013

ICS overuse warning in COPD

Researchers from the UK caution that inhaled corticosteroids are being overused in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in light of a lack of solid evidence for their efficacy, limited guideline support, and growing concerns over their association with pneumonia.

11 Nov 2013

COPD linked to mild cognitive impairment risk

Research shows that elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are nearly twice as likely as those without to have mild cognitive impairment.

8 Nov 2013

Vitamin C can improve skeletal muscle fatigue in COPD patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—a health problem in which the lungs lose their inherent springiness, making it progressively harder to breathe—can have a dramatic effect on the ability to exercise and even perform simple activities of daily life because of the disease's fallout effects on skeletal muscles.

8 Nov 2013