Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

Latest Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

High uric acid levels protect against lung function decline in women

Researchers at Kumamoto University in Japan have discovered that uric acid, an antioxidant, protects against declining lung function from age or lung disease, especially in women.

5 Jun 2020

Age and diabetes the biggest risk factors for death in pregnant COVID-19 patients

A recent research letter published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 evaluates the risk factors that may lead to higher mortality in pregnant women with COVID-19 in middle-income countries.

4 Jun 2020

Expert offers COVID-19 guidance for patients with COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a chronic lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. The disease affects millions of Americans and is the fourth leading cause of disease-related death in the U.S. People with COPD have a higher risk of more severe illness from COVID-19 due to their existing lung problems.

30 May 2020

Deaths from COVID-19 appear to be on the decline in Italian provinces

Researchers in Italy have found that the proportion of people dying from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be on the decline in Italy.

26 May 2020

Using Qigong to manage COVID-19 in older adults

A recent study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in May 2020 reports on the possible usefulness of the integrative practice called Qigong to prevent and manage COVID-19 in older adults.

25 May 2020

Quarantine improves air quality, prevents premature deaths in China

Soon after coronavirus appeared, an all-encompassing quarantine put into effect by the Chinese government slowed the spread of the disease and saved lives, but the quarantine also produced another unanticipated health benefit.

20 May 2020

Researchers develop new method to study the effect of long-term oxygen deficiency

Researchers at Luleå University of Technology have developed a method to study how muscle cells in the blood vessels of the lung, permanently contract because of long-term oxygen deficiency.

15 May 2020

Non-invasive ventilation mask could reduce aerosolization when treating COVID-19 patients

Led by Lawson Health Research Institute, London Health Sciences Centre, University Health Network and General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, researchers have designed a non-invasive ventilation mask that could significantly reduce aerosolization - the production of airborne respiratory droplets that may contain viruses or bacteria - when treating patients with COVID-19.

13 May 2020

COPD and smoking linked to greater COVID-19 severity and mortality

Current smokers and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have an increased risk of severe complications and higher mortality with COVID-19 infection, according to a new study published May 11, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jaber Alqahtani of University College London, UK, and colleagues.

11 May 2020

When prisons are ‘petri dishes,’ inmates can’t guard against COVID-19, they say

On April 6, an inmate named Dennis stayed up late at Indiana’s Plainfield Correctional Facility. He wrote to his wife, Lisa, and told her he was scared.

6 May 2020

Is ACEI, ARB use linked to testing positive for COVID-19?

A new study published in the prestigious journal JAMA Cardiology in May 2020 reports that there is no association between the use of ACEIs/ARBs and testing positive for COVID-19. This supports current medical advice to continue using these drugs as indicated irrespective of the ongoing pandemic but indicates the need for more research to rule out any additional risk of severe illness due to these agents.

6 May 2020

Tobacco use may explain why more men die of coronavirus than women in Spain

Whether or not you are a smoker could condition how the coronavirus affects you. At least that is what numerous researchers are saying, insisting that tobacco use is to blame for the weakened cardiovascular systems which are at greatest risk from COVID-19.

29 Apr 2020

New device combined with mechanical ventilation can help improve treatment outcomes for COVID-19

A device designed at the University of Pittsburgh could help improve outcomes as a treatment for COVID-19 when used in conjunction with non-invasive or mechanical ventilation, and it recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

28 Apr 2020

$Study provides an overview of the burden, management of fragility fractures$

Study provides an overview of the burden, management of fragility fractures

A new study provides an overview and comparison of the burden and management of fragility fractures due to osteoporosis in the five largest countries in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) as well as Sweden.

27 Apr 2020

Women must work harder to breathe during exercise than men

While both sexes have the capacity for phenomenal athletic achievements, women on average must work harder to breathe during strenuous exercise compared to men, according to new research.

27 Apr 2020

Artificial intelligence: A backup and excellent benefit for radiologists

Diagnosing emphysema and classifying its severity have long been more art than science.

27 Apr 2020

New tool predicts risk of admission to long-term care home and death for dementia patients

A new tool that predicts risk of death and admission to a long-term care facility for patients with dementia may help conversations between health care providers, patients and their families, according to new research in CMAJ.

20 Apr 2020

How climate change is putting doctors in the hot seat

A 4-year-old girl was rushed to the emergency room three times in one week for asthma attacks.

20 Apr 2020

Smoking doubles risk of severe COVID-19 disease

The fatality rate among infected people increases among the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. Now, a new study published as a pre-print on medXriv, links smoking to the progression of COVID-19 disease, suggesting that the odds of disease progression is more than double in smokers.

20 Apr 2020

COPD lungs inundated by abnormal stem cells, research finds

Two internationally renowned stem cell experts have found an abundance of abnormal stem cells in the lungs of patients who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a leading cause of death worldwide.

16 Apr 2020