Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

Latest Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

New technology developed for treatment of children suffering from respiratory diseases

A new technology to unblock and remove secretions from the respiratory tract of children has been developed as part of a collaboration between researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and its affiliated Soroka University Medical Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and the University of Cincinnati.

4 Dec 2019

WPI researchers developing miniaturized device to measure baby's blood oxygen levels

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are developing a sensor the size of a Band-Aid that will measure a baby's blood oxygen levels, a vital indication of the lungs' effectiveness and whether the baby's tissue is receiving adequate oxygen supply.

14 Nov 2019

Researchers propose new criteria for diagnosing COPD

Researchers at National Jewish Health and dozens of leading institutions around the nation have proposed new criteria for diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

12 Nov 2019

Heavy smoking causes rapid facial aging

“Smoker’s Face,” a condition where smokers look older than they are, is just one of many negative effects caused by heavy tobacco usage. Louise Millard of the University of Bristol and colleagues report these findings in a new study published 31st October in PLOS Genetics.

8 Nov 2019

New position statement lays out framework to help aging populations stay healthier

An international team of researchers have put forward a position statement, published in Science, which lays out a new healthcare framework to help aging populations stay healthier for longer.

8 Nov 2019

When caring for a sick spouse shakes a marriage to the core

For a dozen years, Larry Bocchiere, 68, didn't find it especially difficult to care for his wife, Deborah, who struggled with breathing problems. But as her illness took a downward turn, he became overwhelmed by stress.

7 Nov 2019

Childhood trauma linked to health problems in adulthood warns CDC

The Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has released a report citing the dangers of traumatic events occurring in childhood. These traumatic events are named “Adverse Childhood Experiences” or ACE says the CDC and include abuse (physical and mental) or violence or growing up in an environment that is no congenial for development.

6 Nov 2019

If power outages are California’s new normal, what about home medical needs?

Fern Brown, 81, sat in the rear of a tent on the windswept fairgrounds of this historic Gold Rush town, drawing deep breaths through the mouthpiece of a nebulizer plugged into a power strip atop a plastic folding table.

1 Nov 2019

NTU study: Microorganisms show a precise daily rhythm in tropical air

Scientists from the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have found that the air in the tropics is teeming with a rich and diverse range of at least 725 different microorganisms.

30 Oct 2019

Shape of lung tissue fibers influences respiratory elasticity

Take a deep breath. Now exhale. Congratulations! You've just done something completely ordinary, yet so mysterious that scientists still don't know everything about it.

29 Oct 2019

Study finds high number of hospital return for preexisting or linked infections

About 15% of hospitalized older adults will be readmitted within a month of discharge.

23 Oct 2019

Beta-blockers do not reduce risk of COPD exacerbations

New research from scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that beta-blockers used in a clinical trial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do not reduce the risk of flare-ups of the disease, also called COPD exacerbations.

21 Oct 2019

New assistive technology can accurately identify collapsed lungs from chest x-rays

New assistive technology can diagnose collapsed lungs from chest x-rays with a higher degree of accuracy than radiologists.

16 Oct 2019

Former smokers and light smokers not exempt from lung function decline

People who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day cause long-term damage to their lungs, according to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

9 Oct 2019

Analyses of two clinical trials predict response to asthma drug by COPD patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association.

30 Sep 2019

Nanoparticles moving through airway mucus may predict severity of COPD

In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used microscopic man-made particles to predict the severity of patients' chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by measuring how quickly the particles move through mucus samples.

30 Sep 2019

Smart shirt technology is a promising tool for monitoring lung disease

A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

30 Sep 2019

Wrist-worn step trackers can be used to determine health status of patients

Determining how far patients with pulmonary disease can walk in six minutes has long been an effective clinical tool to help physicians determine their exercise capacity, as well as to aid in predicting health outcomes and mortality.

29 Sep 2019

Respiratory groups unite to advocate 'healthy lungs for all' on World Lung Day 2019

Today, on World Lung Day, the American Thoracic Society is united with members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies and WLD partner organizations to advocate for respiratory health globally and call on policymakers to ensure that everyone has access to the services they need to improve their lung health.

25 Sep 2019

Vaping destroys lining and immune cells in the lung, says study

Now, a new study shows that the vapor emitted by the electronic cigarettes is vaping is linked to much higher rates of cell death among airway epithelial cells – more than double, from about 9% in controls to 17-20% in the exposed cells.

24 Sep 2019