Respiratory

Researchers from Mexico recommend conducting a pulmonary function test in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy to assess their susceptibility to developing radiation pneumonitis.

A DNA test method called polymerase chain reaction can shave days off the time it takes to detect a Legionnaires' disease outbreak to mere hours and should be implemented by health departments to prevent illness, a new study reported.

Using statewide quality data for medical home–eligible clinics, we tested asthma education as a clinical mechanism whereby medical homes achieve better asthma outcomes.

A health insurance claims-based risk assessment tool to predict patients’ first severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation has been developed and validated.

Respimat from Boehringer Ingelheim is now the first and only inhaler to be awarded the Ease of Use Commendation by the Arthritis Foundation. This award identifies products that make life easier for people with arthritis and other physical limitations.

Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not all smokers develop the condition, and many non-smokers do. Why that is has remained a mystery until now, as a research team, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has discovered genetic variations in the anatomy of the lungs could serve as early-warning indicators.

Asthma costs the U.S. economy more than $80 billion annually in medical expenses, days missed from work and school, and deaths, according to research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. However, actual numbers are likely to be higher, according to CDC researchers who conducted the study.

Psychological factors negatively affect quality-of-life scores in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be given the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and influenza vaccines to decrease the risk of exacerbations. However, despite the evidence of vaccine efficacy, improvements are needed in coverage and awareness.

Less than 10% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation received a referral from their physician, according to a new study. However, there was no association found between referral status and COPD exacerbations.

The FDA has removed a boxed warning on medicines delivering a combinations of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABA) drugs.

Despite effective pharmacology, many patients with asthma have impaired quality of life, but a new breathing retraining intervention can be used as a nonpharmacological intervention to treat asthma.

The FDA has announced its launch of the “Every Try Counts” campaign, which will encourage smokers to quit by advertising messages of support underscoring the health benefits of quitting. The campaign will also focus on celebrating each quit attempt as a step towards success.

Diagnosis-related group coding determines eligibility for many Medicare bundled payment initiatives. This approach excluded many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease likely to benefit while including others without the disease.

A study of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Poland, The Republic of Korea, and the United States identified substantial differences in respiratory symptoms and other respiratory illnesses.

High prevalence of chronic conditions has been a key driver of healthcare costs in the United States, and Medicaid beneficiaries tend to have higher rates of chronic diseases than people not on Medicaid.

Data from a study of smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) indicate that the concentration of eosinophils in the sputum, rather than the blood, is a better predictor of COPD exacerbations and lung function.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent and progressive airflow limitation, and a new study examined the factors responsible for a high St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD based on severity of airflow limitation.

A new study has shown that long-term oxygen therapy in patients with severe alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can improve survival; however, their outcomes do not improve following lung-transplantation.

Previous studies have revealed a potential connection between chronic inflammatory conditions and the predisposition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a new study has found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with a greater risk of COPD hospitalization compared to the general population.

New high-risk groups of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to GOLD 2017 were found to have more characteristics related to acute exacerbation and mortality risks.

Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their caretakers may experience symptoms of anxiety and depression that could impact their mortality, quality of life, and healthcare use.

A new analysis finds that the mortality rate from chronic respiratory diseases has risen by almost 30% between 1980 and 2014 in the United States, and that data reflect significant differences in death rates across counties and regions.

The reduced mortality risk was not seen in patients who did not have diabetes before surgery. But in those who did, the results were dramatic.

A JAMA study has found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who received noninvasive ventilation in addition to home oxygen therapy went longer without being readmitted to the hospital or dying than those who received only home oxygen therapy.