If your patients have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may be thinking about having them quit smoking a little more seriously. There are proven benefits to quitting smoking. It can help improve symptoms and slow the progression of COPD. After hours, days, months, and years of quitting, there are benefits for the lungs and…
A new report [1] published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows that, on average, smokers in England need care when they are 63, ten years sooner than non-smokers. The analysis, by Landman Economics for ASH, finds that 1.5 million people need help with everyday tasks, such as dressing, walking across a room and…
People living with HIV are approximately two-thirds more likely to be current tobacco smokers than HIV-negative individuals, according to the findings of a global meta-analysis published in AIDS. Elevated smoking prevalence was observed in both men and women with HIV and in all world regions except the Western Pacific. “This systematic review and meta-analysis is…
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…
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…
Smokers in the UK are quitting at a record pace. As of July, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) reported that over one million people living in the United Kingdom have given up smoking due to COVID-19. Because the virus attacks the respiratory system, it has given smokers a moment of pause which could very…
New findings suggest differing chronic lung diseases are associated with varying risk factors among COVID-19 patients. A pre-print article from a team of investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School highlight the important of distinguishing asthma from chronic pulmonary conditions in interpreting patient risks due to coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The findings, which…