Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease, and patients can differ markedly in their rate of lung function decline and frequency of exacerbations. A recent study sought to determine what proportion of between-individual variability in symptoms can be explained by lung function versus all other observable characteristics.
A recent report, published by the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, assessed trends in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths in the United States and found that the number of in-hospital deaths for COPD has decreased; however, women account for a higher proportion of the hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths.
A recent study aimed to identify the characteristics of patients who demonstrate the greatest exacerbation risk reduction with roflumilast, finding that the medication is most successful in patients with prior hospitalization, greater exacerbation frequency, and higher baseline blood eosinophil count.
Propeller Health, a digital health company that makes sensors to track patient use of respiratory inhalers used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, is being snapped up by ResMed, which makes connected devices for respiratory care.
Researchers investigated the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes and the prognosis of different histological subtypes of lung cancer and found that COPD, especially emphysema-predominant phenotype, was an independent prognostic risk factor for squamous carcinoma only.
By meeting challenges in caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary dieases head-on, primary care doctors have an opportunity to reduce the potential for unnecessary or sub-optimal care while improving patient outcomes.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and for COPD Awareness Month this November, The American Journal of Managed Care® conducted a Q&A with Jamie Sullivan, MPH, vice president of public policy and outcomes for The COPD Foundation, as well as Chief Medical Officer Byron M. Thomashow, MD. The COPD Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the lives of patients with COPD.
Recent research indicates that there are age-associated gender differences seen in the disease burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), with younger women more severely affected.
An investigation into the effects of a self-management intervention (SMI) called “Better Living with COPD” found that the intervention had a significant positive short-term effect for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
It is already well established that patients with COPD have exacerbations during winter as well as during heat waves in the summer months, and researchers in Germany sought to see which patient groups might be potentially more vulnerable to the effects of climate change in order to see who might need targeted care.
Retraction and republication: The JAMA article referenced in this story was retracted and republished on October 8, 2019. Please refer to the updated findings here.
The FDA approved revefenacin (Yupelri), the first once-a-day nebulized bronchodilator for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Inhaled corticosteroids, used for preventing acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often lead to increased high blood eosinophil count, while low blood eosinophil count is often associated with pneumonia risk—however, the prognostic role of blood eosinophil count has not yet been explored. In a recent study, researchers found that the severity of emphysema was independently linked with low blood eosinophil count and the longer survival period was associated with increased blood eosinophil count.
Researchers recently studied the adverse outcomes of symptomatic and asymptomatic nonobstructed individuals and those with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) longitudinally, and found that the presence of respiratory symptoms in nonobstructed individuals was a predictor of mortality, lung function decline, and exacerbations.
A new report on the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) shows that there is wide variability across and within states, with West Virginia carrying the highest burden of morbidity and mortality.
Researchers reviewed the most updated concepts of the pulmonary vascular changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and concluded that certain subgroups of COPD patients with pulmonary vascular phenotypes may profit from targeted pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy.
Researchers looked to evaluate predictors of mortality in patients with COPD after 9 years.
The first trial to examine the impact of a self-management behavior-modification program combined with bronchodilator therapy and exercise training on exercise capacity and physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) showed positive results, according to a recently published study.
Oral theophylline has been used as a bronchodilator to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for decades, but it has fallen out of favor due to the side effects that come with the higher doses that are required to achieve any beneficial effect. A recent study sought to determine if adding low-dose theophylline to inhaled corticosteroids for COPD would reduce the number of exacerbations.
A recent study determined that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had similar tumor microenvironment, but higher tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) exhaustion, than patients without COPD. The use of an anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody, nivolumab, was also demonstrated to be effective in this population.
Some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a sudden worsening of their symptoms that require additional treatment—also known as acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). A recent study, which investigated whether readmissions of patients with severe AECOPD varied according to the bacterium or virus identified, found that P. aeruginosa identification is associated with a higher readmission rate in patients.
Previous phase 3 studies have demonstrated the efficacy of nebulized glycopyrrolate inhalation solution (GLY) for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a recent study, researchers conducted a secondary analysis and found that nebulized GLY demonstrated efficacy and was well tolerated for up to 48 weeks in subjects with COPD with or without background long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA).
Patient adherence to medication is a complex issue, particularly so for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A recent study finds that adherence is related to need perception and to the functional severity of the disease.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have a significant disease burden that is particularly associated with the peak incidence of exacerbation events during winter months. A review assessed previous population studies that evaluated the impact of seasonality in COPD, emphasizing the importance of understanding how all factors impact patients and where interventions can be targeted.
Older age, dyspnea, longer duration of illness, comorbidities, and use of oxygen hurt quality of life for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
