COPD Archives - Family Medicine News

Practices for reducing COPD hospital readmissions explored

20.03.2019 Health Problems

(HealthDay)—Communication, implementation of guidelines, and improved identification of risk factors may help reduce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospital readmissions, according to a report published in the February issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Valerie G. Press, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Chicago, and colleagues address the current best practices and models to identify approaches with […]

Treating COPD patients for anxiety using CBT reduces hospital visits and is cost-effective

23.11.2018 Health Problems

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) delivered by respiratory nurses is cost-effective and reduces anxiety symptoms in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, according to research published in ERJ Open Research. COPD is a long-term condition that causes inflammation in the lungs, narrowing of the airways and damaged lung tissue, making breathing difficult. Anxiety often occurs alongside COPD and can mean that […]

Self-management program for patients with COPD boosts quality of life, cuts rehospitalization

20.11.2018 Health Problems

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that a program designed to enhance self-care and lead to more seamless management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults successfully reduced rates of emergency room visits and hospitalization, and the burdensome symptoms and limitations caused by the condition. Describing results of the six-month trial of the program in the Nov. 12 issue of […]

To better treat COPD, scientists look to tailored approaches for deadly lung disease

10.11.2018 Health Problems

Valerie Chang kept waking up breathless in the middle of the night. As a regular swimmer and non-smoker, she figured it was a fluke, a remnant of her childhood asthma, perhaps. But after a lung test, doctors told her that she had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); her lung function was only 30 percent and she had done irreversible damage […]

Triple dual therapy significantly improves lung function, quality of life in COPD patients

06.10.2018 Health Problems

The InforMing the PAthway of COPD Treatment (IMPACT) study was conducted to assess the benefits of triple versus dual therapy in patients with COPD. In a study at CHEST, researchers found that regardless of baseline reversibility, the usage of triple dual therapies significantly reduced the annual rate and moderate-to-severe and severe exacerbations, improved lung function and overall quality of life […]

Study finds COPD patients are not learning how to properly use their inhaler devices

01.05.2018 Health Problems

Inhaled medications play an important role in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and it is imperative that the inhaler device be used properly to effectively treat the disease. However, in a recently released study in the Journal of the COPD Foundation, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions found that healthcare providers and patients prioritize medication […]

Study: Almost 100 million adults have COPD in China

10.04.2018 Health Problems

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is widespread in China with 8.6 percent of the country’s adult population – almost 100 million people -suffering from the chronic lung disease, according to a new Tulane University study published in The Lancet. The study, which provided lung-function screenings for more than 50,990 participants, is the largest survey of COPD across age groups ever […]

COPD is an adult killer, but its origins may lie in childhood

06.04.2018 Health Problems

(HealthDay)—COPD may seem like an adult disease, often tied to smoking. But two new studies suggest it could have roots in life’s earliest years. Kids with issues such as asthma or those exposed to secondhand smoke may be more susceptible to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) decades later—especially if they grow up to become smokers, researchers found. COPD is a […]