News

Cipla has launched Spirofy — its wireless, portable device capable of performing lung function tests outdoors and in remote areas — in India, with the hope of better diagnosing people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The device is the first of its kind in the country,…

A hand-held fan blowing air on the face eased breathlessness in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during short periods of low-intensity walking exercise, a small study reports. “Our positive preliminary findings suggest that fan therapy merits further investigation in larger and more methodologically rigorous studies,” the researchers…

Low-cost screening involving a questionnaire and a breathing test may help identify patients with undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study conducted in China has found. Among the combinations tested, the Chinese symptom-based questionnaire (C-SBQ) combined with microspirometry — a test that measures how much air a patient…

A combination of antibiotics may be more effective at killing harmful bacteria in the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are having disease exacerbations, or flare-ups, than single-antibiotic therapies, a study based on a trial’s findings reports. However, the study found no difference between combination…

Wellinks, a digital healthcare company, has closed a $25-million funding round to expand access to its integrated, virtual management system for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It offers a combination of pulmonary rehabilitation with personalized coaching and monitoring through connected devices, such as the Flyp nebulizer, spirometer, and…

Dark-field chest X-ray imaging provides greater detail of lung microstructure than standard chest X-rays, and allows for the accurate diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study shows. “In the future dark-field X-rays could help improve early detection of COPD and other respiratory ailments,” Alexander Fingerle, MD, of the…

Sporting the color orange and “lacing up” for patients, supporters nationwide are participating in COPD Awareness Month, observed each November to call attention to the lung disorder that affects nearly 16 million U.S. residents, with millions more undiagnosed. World COPD Day is Nov. 17. Awareness and education are crucial…

A protein called ABCC1 lets a specific signaling molecule leak out of muscle cells in the airways, which may contribute to the airway constriction that makes it harder for people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to breathe, a recent study reported. “This protein has been recognized…

Female nurses who worked in operating rooms (ORs) for 15 years or more are up to 69% more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than those who never served in an OR, according to a large-scale study from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH). Causing…

Researchers at the Centenary UTS Centre for Inflammation in Australia have been awarded grants to investigate potential therapeutics for respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One of the awards is a $5-million National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant that will investigate methods in…