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Smokers and ex-smokers may significantly reduce their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by eating  more fruit and vegetables, according to new research. The study, which only included men, found that each additional serving of fruit or vegetables reduced their risk by 4 to 8 percent. But the…

International Biophysics Corporation announced a revenue growth of 34% in 2016 due to a 53% increase in unit sales of the AffloVest and other surgical product lines in the United States. AffloVest is a lung clearance therapy for patients with respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). “As we enter our…

Bronchiectasis is increasingly recognized in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have worsening symptoms, including exacerbations and higher risk for pneumonia. Researchers presented their study, “Bronchiectasis in COPD: An Irrelevant Imaging Finding or a Clinically Important Phenotype?”  at the 2016 CHEST Annual Meeting in Los…

Boehringer Ingelheim is partnering with Weill Cornell Medicine to discover new treatment approaches to potentially halt or reverse the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The three-year cooperative agreement will combine the research of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Genetic Medicine in novel therapeutic concepts for airway repair…

Blocking a molecule that is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be a path toward treating the disease, according to a study. Researchers demonstrated that blocking a factor known as RAGE (receptor for advanced glycan end products) prevented inflammatory signaling and reduced airway damage in mice. The…

A study conducted in China revealed that exposure to fine particulate air pollution is more strongly linked to deaths among people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), than in the overall population. The study, “Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Daily…

In the largest study to date examining risk factors for lung disease, researchers showed that people at high genetic risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can cut that risk in half if they stop smoking in early adulthood. The study examined 24 million genetic variants and concluded that those…

Researchers have identified new genes that play a role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung-associated diseases, such as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. In a large consortium study led by Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), researchers described 13 new…

Each year, more than 10,000 generally healthy patients die within seven days after being discharged from a hospital emergency room, according to a recent analysis. Heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the most common causes of death among these patients. A growing number of patients — nearly 20% of…

With the help of a $1 million grant, scientists at the University of Louisville are starting up a new research program aiming to study lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The program, dubbed the “Gibbs Lung Research Program” (GSG), will focus specifically on the role of inflammation…