Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

Latest Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease News and Research

Azithromycin can effectively reduce acute COPD exacerbations

A common antibiotic added to the usual treatment plan for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can reduce acute exacerbations — sudden onsets of worsened cough, wheezing and labored breathing — and improve quality of life, according to findings from the COPD Clinical Research Network reported in the Aug. 25, 2011, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

25 Aug 2011

Dogs ‘sniff’ out early lung cancer accurately

According to a new study in the European Respiratory Journal dogs are better at sniffing out the early markers of lung cancer than the latest medical technologies at our disposal.

23 Aug 2011

Southampton scientists to progress nutrition and respiratory research

Clinicians and scientists working in the Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research, established by the partnership between Southampton's University Hospitals Trust (SUHT) and the University of Southampton, have been awarded £17m to progress the city's world-leading nutrition and respiratory research facilities.

19 Aug 2011

New research: Sniffer dogs can reliably identify lung cancer

Sniffer dogs could be used for the early detection of lung cancer, according to new research published in the European Respiratory Journal.

18 Aug 2011

U-M saves more than $22M during Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration Project

Medicare patients received better care at the University of Michigan Health System, and U-M staff have saved more than $22 million on the cost of that care during a five-year demonstration project.

9 Aug 2011

U.S. PTO to reissue two patents for Dey Pharma's Perforomist Inhalation Solution

Dey Pharma L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan Inc., today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office intends to reissue both of the patents related to Perforomist Inhalation Solution 20 mcg/2mL vial that had been placed into reexamination by Sepracor, now known as Sunovion Pharmaceuticals.

4 Aug 2011

Study evaluates humor and laughter in patients with COPD

Having a sense of humor is associated with improved emotional functioning and an enhanced quality of life among patients with a chronic lung illness, but the actual act of laughing out loud can reduce lung function, at least in the short term, research suggests.

3 Aug 2011

Heart disease remains most costly condition in terms of health care expenditure for women: AHRQ

The cost of treating women for heart disease in 2008 was $43.6 billion, leading a list of the top 10 most expensive conditions for women, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

30 Jul 2011

Merck reports worldwide sales of $12.2 billion for second quarter 2011

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2011.

29 Jul 2011

Cigarette smoke exposure alters airway tissue in people with COPD

Cigarette smoke exposure fundamentally alters airway tissue from people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at the cellular level, laying the groundwork for airway thickening and even precipitating precancerous changes in cell proliferation that may be self-perpetuating long after cigarette smoke exposure ends, according to Australian researchers.

28 Jul 2011

Structural changes associated with frequent exacerbations identified in lungs of COPD patients

Using computed tomography (CT), researchers have identified two types of structural changes in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that are associated with frequent exacerbations, or episodes when symptoms suddenly worsen. Their findings are published online in the journal Radiology.

28 Jul 2011

Volunteers needed in worldwide study to help people breathe easier

Australian sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), one of the most important causes of breathlessness and difficulty performing tasks of normal daily life, have the opportunity to participate in a worldwide study, starting this month, assessing a potential new treatment.

26 Jul 2011

Many smokers disbelieve health risk warnings: Survey

A new survey has revealed that nearly a third of smokers believe the health effects of smoking are exaggerated. Also less than four in 10 smokers are able to identify emphysema as a health effect of smoking. The survey was conducted over phone by the Cancer Council and included 861 smokers in 2009. The results were collated this year.

24 Jul 2011

Scientists discover high levels of antioxidants in two species of neotropical blueberries

One of the treats of summer-fresh, antioxidant-rich blueberries-has new competition for the title of "superfruit." But at least the contenders are keeping the title in the family. Researchers have found that two species of wild blueberries native to the tropical regions of Central and South America-the New World tropics, or Neotropics-contain two to four times more antioxidants than the blueberries sold in U.S. markets.

15 Jul 2011

New paper provides unique review on respiratory disorders in the Middle East

Lung diseases in the Middle East range from the centuries-old pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) to modern manifestations caused by chemical warfare. A new paper now available in Respirology, a journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, provides pulmonologists and patients with the first comprehensive review of respiratory illnesses specific to the Persian Gulf region, and the challenges in treating them.

14 Jul 2011

European Respiratory Society Congress to take place on September 24, 2011

The 2011 European Respiratory Society Congress will take place at the Amsterdam RAI congress centre from Saturday 24 September to Wednesday 28 September 2011.

14 Jul 2011

Johns Hopkins receives NHLBI grant to establish two programs in glycosciences

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded two groups at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine each approximately $2.3 million a year for seven years to establish two Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences.

13 Jul 2011

Loyola to launch interdisciplinary Geriatric Fracture Program

Loyola University Hospital is launching an interdisciplinary Geriatric Fracture Program to reduce hospital stays and complications from broken hips and other age-related fractures.

7 Jul 2011

Air traffic pollution impacts growth and development of unborn children

A UK academic is calling for a nationwide study into the effects traffic pollution has on asthma sufferers after his own research in Cairo highlighted health problems in children who may even be affected while still in the womb.

6 Jul 2011

Novartis reports NVA237 Phase III trial results against COPD

Sosei Group Corporation, announces that results reported today by Novartis from the pivotal Phase III GLOW2 clinical trial show that once-daily NVA237 50 mcg significantly improved lung function in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) relative to placebo, with similar efficacy to open-label tiotropium.

30 Jun 2011