Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

New official guidelines have been published by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Among the new recommendations, the combination of long-acting beta two agonists (LABA) and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) is recommended over either therapy alone to treat people with COPD…

Low levels of the protein CC16 in blood are associated with worse lung function and more severe disease among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study suggests. The study, “Reduced Serum Concentration of CC16 Is Associated with Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease…

Use of chemical disinfectants might increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in nurses, a study suggests. The study, “Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses,” was published in the journal JAMA Network…

The criteria used to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should be expanded beyond measurements of lung function, a new study suggests. The study, “COPDGene 2019: Redefining the Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,” was published in the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD…

Former smokers and people who smoke relatively few cigarettes per day may experience a faster decline in lung function than people who have never smoked, although they still have a slower decline in lung function than current smokers, a new study suggests. The study, “Lung function decline…

Shirts with smart technology could be used in place of traditional laboratory equipment to measure lung function, and prove to be particularly useful in respiratory conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new research suggests. The data were discussed in a presentation, titled…

Michael J. Holtzman, MD, has received close to $7.5 million in total funding for research aimed at developing stem cell-based treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and other disorders. Holtzman’s research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identified a subset of stem…

The RheOx system for the treatment of chronic bronchitis has received the CE mark, an indication that it has met high health, safety, and environmental protection requirements, in the European Union. Developed by Gala Therapeutics, the RheOx system is a minimally invasive tool used to perform a procedure called…

Medical device company Adherium and informatics company Summatix are teaming up to help clinicians provide the best possible care for people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Through this partnership, Adherium will gain access to Summatix’s regulated data platform…

Air pollution can increase the risk of emphysema among people who have never smoked, a recent study has found. The study, titled “Association Between Long-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Change in Quantitatively Assessed Emphysema and Lung Function,” was published in the Journal of the…