The economic burden of asthma is estimated to be nearly $81 billion in the 28 countries of the European Union. A new study by the University of Kent, in England, showed interventions by community pharmacists improve asthma control in patients leading to major cost benefits. The economic burden of asthma is estimated to be nearly…
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who also have non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) are more likely to be hospitalized and die, according to a German study that urges improved care for this particular disease. The study, “Burden of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease in Germany,” appeared in the European Respiratory Journal in an article….
Globally, World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 235 million people suffer from asthma. It also indicates that asthma is not just a public health problem for high income countries, but it occurs in all countries regardless of the level of development. The study further shows that over 80 per cent of asthma deaths occur in…
To shine a light on the link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and depression, the Lung Institute is starting an initiative to help combat depression in COPD patients. It kicked off on World Health Day, April 7. The initiative will seek to decrease the prevalence of depression in people with COPD by helping them improve their quality of life. Depression…
“What’s the weather going to be today?” It’s a frequent question that has larger implications for those with lung disease. Whether it’s summer or winter, rainy or windy, people with lung disease should pay attention to the weather report as sudden changes in the weather as well as extreme weather conditions can provoke lung symptoms….
Children who are raised in households with dogs or farm animals during their first year of life may have a lower risk of asthma a few years later, a new study suggests. In the study, the researchers looked at early exposure to dogs and farm animals and the rate of asthma among about 377,000 preschool-age…
If post-bronchodilator spirometry is required for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), why doesn’t every single primary care physician do it? A University-based Primary Care Clinic (PCC) analysis revealed that only 19% of patients with COPD had undergone spirometry testing, which determines how well the lungs work by measuring oxygen flow. With COPD…
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often display inhibited mitochondrial protein pathways, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers from Brown University examined healthy patients’ and smoking patients’ lung samples in order to demonstrate that the expression of the pathways in immune responses is decreased in COPD patients. The…