Fruit and veg-rich diet linked to much lower risk of chronic lung disease

BMJ: A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing chronic lung disease (COPD) in former and current smokers, finds research published online in the journal Thorax. Each additional daily serving was associated with a 4-8% lower risk, the findings show. COPD, short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is an umbrella term for respiratory conditions that narrow the airways, which include bronchitis and emphysema.

Physiotherapy prevents pulmonary attacks in COPD patients

Maastricht: Physiotherapy is the most important clinical intervention for COPD patients. Protocol-based physiotherapy is a targeted treatment method that helps to improve the patient’s fitness level or prevent or delay pulmonary attacks and the associated loss of function. These were the results of a PhD study conducted by clinical epidemiologist, sports scientist, and physiotherapist Emmylou Beekman from Maastricht University Medical Centre+​. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a severe and chronic condition that affects roughly 65 million people worldwide. The disease is caused by damage to the lungs, which makes breathing difficult and causes fatigue.

World lung health study allows scientists to predict your chance of developing deadly disease

Nottingham:The world’s biggest study into an individual’s genetic make-up and the risk of developing lung disease could allow scientists to more accurately ‘predict’ - based on genes and smoking - your chance of developing COPD, a deadly disease which is the third commonest cause of death in the world. By comparing 24 million genetic variants - genetic differences between people - in each participant with measures of lung health, the scientists from 14 countries, led by a team from the University of Nottingham and University of Leicester, were able to group people based on genetic variants to show their risk of developing COPD.

Airway valve treatment improves lung function

London: A study has found that using airway valves to treat people with emphysema can improve lung function and exercise capacity. The new treatment could provide a less invasive alternative to surgery to remove the affected part of the lung. Emphysema is a condition of the lungs that causes breathlessness, limiting patients’ ability to do even light exercise and affecting their quality of life. The condition is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is thought to affect more than three million people in the UK.

Podometers could help patients with chronic pulmonary disease

European respiratory journal: A sedentary lifestyle is a common feature in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Favored by the respiratory disability but also by the lifestyle, it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Encourage patients to make a moderate but regular exercise intensity is therefore part of the usual advice of pulmonologists, but they are not followed. In this context, a South American study looked at the help that could bring the use of individual pedometers with visible targets.

COPD patients have more than just respiratory problems

Maastricht: Approximately 98% of COPD patients suffer from at least one other condition and nearly half  have at least four other disease symptoms. This is one of the conclusions in the dissertation by Lowie Vanfleteren of Maastricht UMC+ and CIRO+ in Horn. He researched the additional problems in patients who were referred on for pulmonary rehabilitation. COPD patients can experience problems ranging from high blood pressure and heart failure to osteoporosis and depression. 'COPD has become much more than just a lung disease,' says Vanfleteren.

Pulmonary rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Cochrane: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) describes a chronic lung condition that prevents the air supply from getting to the lungs. Symptoms include breathlessness, coughing, tiredness and frequent chest infection. Worldwide, COPD is a major cause of ill health.