Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

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…

Having good heart and lung fitness in middle age reduces a person’s risk of developing, or dying, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study shows. The results were published in the journal Thorax, in an article titled, “Midlife cardiorespiratory fitness and the long-term risk…

The drugstore company Walgreens has expanded its Find Care program to include chronic care management for people with diabetes, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The expansion will include partnerships with device manufacturers to give patients access to tools that will help them better monitor their…

New research suggests that monitoring inhaler usage electronically can reduce the number of hospital stays needed by people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study, titled “Electronic inhaler monitoring and healthcare utilization in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” was published in the Journal of Telemedicine and…