News

COPD is a major global public heath issue. According to a study in the Lancet, 329 million people have COPD worldwide, which accounts for nearly 5% of the world’s population. In 2013 alone, 2.9 million people died from the disease throughout the world, up from 2.4 million deaths…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most frequent causes of death worldwide and active smoking is responsible for almost 85 percent of all cases. However, recent research from the University of Copenhagen shows that accelerated decline of lung function might not be a prerequisite for COPD. The results were recently published in the New England…

A new study titled, “Retrospective Assessment of Home Ventilation to Reduce Rehospitalization in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,” currently published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, suggests non-invasive ventilation plays a crucial role in administering effective multi-faceted patient care to COPD patients, leading to a…

The COPD Foundation has announced that plasma fibrinogen, a new clinical biomarker, was approved to be used in interventional clinical trials for those suffering with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the number 3 cause of death in the country. This is the first biomarker for COPD to receive qualification from the United States Food…

According to a recent study published in The BMJ, new guidelines to diagnose chronic lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD) should be modified since they under-diagnose COPD in young women and over-diagnose COPD in older men. Martin Miller and Dr. Mark Levy, authors of the article, noted that up…

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide relevant information about the symptoms and exercise capabilities of those suffering with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a finding that was recently published in the Radiology journal that could lead to new and better treatments for COPD patients. COPD, a progressive disease of the…

Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced regulatory authority approvals in the first European countries for its Spiolto Respimat (tiotropium/olodaterol) therapy. The drug is a maintenance bronchodilator treatment designed to ease symptoms in adult patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Boehringer did not stipulate in its press release which European countries are…

Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc., released several new Next Generation Sequencing tests designed to evaluate people with epilepsy and mitochondrial disease. Mitochondrial diseases are inherited or chronic illness. They can occur either at birth or may develop later, and include problems with development and cognition. They may cause poor growth, lack of coordination, weakness, pain and seizures.

Results from a recent study published in the journal Cell provide a new potential therapeutic avenue for preventing the transgenerational transmission of human mitochondrial diseases caused by mutations in mtDNA, the DNA located in the mitochondria. Mitochondria are double-membrane cellular organelles of bacterial origin that play…

Mitochondrial disorders are complex conditions for which few treatments are available. Now, using microscopic worms, researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), are researching if existing human drugs aimed at improving metabolism and restore shortened lifespans, can open the opportunity for human clinical trials on innovative therapies for these…