The Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Science Committee recently released a report on COVID-19 and COPD. The committee does a great job of providing timely, consensus-based recommendations for all things COPD. The new report is a long, comprehensive document. Our goal here will be to highlight a…
Guessing the emotions behind the masks. In a world of masks, it’s harder than ever to read the faces around us. Only now are scientists learning how we manage without the revealing tells of smiles, sneers, dimples and frowns that signal our state of mind, as masks in public settings become common in more than…
One of the most popular resolutions at the beginning of each year is the desire to quit smoking, with more than 70% of smokers reporting they want to quit. Smoking is a risk factor for severe illness from COVID-19, which makes 2021 an even more opportune time to begin the journey to quitting once and…
Royal Philips has launched a non-invasive ventilator, BiPAP A40 EFL, to remotely monitor patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and help them to breathe easier. The device is already available in some European countries, and its expansion to the rest of Europe is expected in the next year. BiPAP A40 EFL is not yet…
Restrictions on flavored tobacco products are a great way to promote public health, and these restrictions work best if public health experts form partnerships with tobacco retailers, run intensive media campaigns, and advocate for comprehensive bans on the products. That is according to a study published in Tobacco Control from the University of Hawaiʻi at…
Everyone agrees about the good news — folks whose asthma is spurred on by allergies don’t appear to have an increased risk of life-threatening illness if they contract COVID-19. “Asthma has not risen as one of the top comorbid diseases for worse COVID-19 outcomes,” said Dr. Sandhya Khurana, director of the Mary Parkes Center for…
The use of face masks does not cause intoxication induced by exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2), even in people with lung function impairment such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study reports. The study, “Effect of Face Masks on Gas Exchange in Healthy Persons and Patients with COPD,” was published in the Annals…
Almost two million people die each year from tobacco-induced heart disease, a new report by the World Health Organization has found. Around one in five deaths from heart disease are caused by tobacco use or exposure to second-hand smoke. And just a few cigarettes a day, occasional smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke increase the…