However, study finds allergic asthma did not significantly increase the risk of severe illness. Adults with asthma who became infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 were at higher risk of developing severe illness compared with adults who did not have asthma, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School…
Smokers and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to develop severe complications and die from COVID-19 infections than infected patients who do not smoke or have COPD, a recent meta-analysis shows. This research, however, suggests that the prevalence of COPD patients and smokers among those infected is low. The study, “Prevalence,…
Statin use was linked with a significant reduction in the risk of hospitalized exacerbations after an initial hospitalized exacerbation among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including specified frequent exacerbators, according to study findings published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. In patients with COPD, comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension are common and…
Former smokers and people who smoke relatively few cigarettes per day may experience a faster decline in lung function than people who have never smoked, although they still have a slower decline in lung function than current smokers, a new study suggests. The study, “Lung function decline in former smokers and low-intensity current smokers: a…
High levels of ozone and wood smoke each increase the risk for lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among smokers and nonsmokers alike, two new studies find. People with COPD gradually lose their ability to draw a decent breath. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause, but COPD also can be caused by regular…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a medical condition where damage to the airway leads to a chronic inflammatory response. In Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a medical condition where damage to the airway leads to a chronic inflammatory response. In th this case study, scientists from Peking and Shanghai identified novel protein biomarkers…
Steroid inhalers commonly used to prevent asthma attacks may not work any better than a placebo for many people with mild asthma, according to recent research. Synthetic corticosteroids mimic the steroid hormone cortisol, reducing inflammation in the airways. But the drug targets a type of inflammation that may be found in far fewer patients than…
Parents who smoke cigarettes put their children and others around them at risk for bronchitis, pneumonia and a variety of other ailments. But a new study offers another method to help them quit lighting up. Researchers tested a smoking cessation program in five states in the South and the Midwest, finding it had success in…