More than a quarter of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a history of smoking also have air flow limitation compatible with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Japanese study data show. Strikingly, the vast majority (87.7%) of patients found to have such airflow limitation had not previously been diagnosed with COPD, report Katsuya Onishi (Onishi…
We have been talking a lot about smoking over the past few weeks and its effect on COPD, asthma, and general health long-term. And today, we have more. Nearly 10 percent of cancer patients still smoke. Nearly nine years after diagnosis, bad habits die hard and some are saying “What’s the point?” Nine years after…
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) announced the Online First publication of Total and State-Specific Medical and Absenteeism Costs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults Aged 18 Years in the United States for 2010 and Projections Through 2020 in the journal CHEST. The report, presented by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control…
In a recent publication of The Journal of Thoracic Disease, researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of yoga training in COPD patients. Five randomized controlled trials involving 233 patients with COPD were studied. The researchers found that yoga training lasting 3-9 months significantly improved the FEV1 and exercise capacity but…
Chances are, you know someone with asthma — after all, about one in 12 people in the U.S. has the condition. Having asthma means to have airways that are inflamed, which makes them particularly sensitive to substances ranging from pollution to dust. Exposure to an asthma trigger can cause the narrowing and swelling of the airways,…
Obesity increases the risk and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), even for people who’ve never smoked before. A team of American and German researchers measured the waists, hips, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity of newly diagnosed COPD cases in the U.S., and published the clear link they found in the Canadian…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that COPD is the THIRD leading cause of death in America. The third. With heart disease and cancer taking the lead. Approximately 15 million U.S. adults are estimated to have COPD. When combining COPD with other health issues, this can be a serious problem in the lives…
Every year in the U.S. over 392,000 people die from tobacco-caused disease, making it the leading cause of preventable death. Another 50,000 people die from exposure to secondhand smoke. Tragically, each day thousands of kids still pick up a cigarette for the first time. The cycle of addiction, illness and death continues. What can be…