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.