May 28th 2025
A new device was able to distinguish between mild and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Study Shows Psychological Factors Affect Quality of Life in Patients With COPD
January 10th 2018Psychological factors negatively affect quality-of-life scores in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
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Study Shows the Efficacy of Vaccination in Patients With COPD
January 3rd 2018Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be given the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and influenza vaccines to decrease the risk of exacerbations. However, despite the evidence of vaccine efficacy, improvements are needed in coverage and awareness.
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Researchers Find Low Referral Rates to Pulmonary Rehab for Eligible Patients With COPD
December 25th 2017Less than 10% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation received a referral from their physician, according to a new study. However, there was no association found between referral status and COPD exacerbations.
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FDA Announces Public Education Campaign to Encourage Smoking Cessation
December 14th 2017The FDA has announced its launch of the “Every Try Counts” campaign, which will encourage smokers to quit by advertising messages of support underscoring the health benefits of quitting. The campaign will also focus on celebrating each quit attempt as a step towards success.
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Implications of DRG Classification in a Bundled Payment Initiative for COPD
Diagnosis-related group coding determines eligibility for many Medicare bundled payment initiatives. This approach excluded many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease likely to benefit while including others without the disease.
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Identifying Differences of Symptoms of Patients With Severe COPD in 3 Countries
December 5th 2017A study of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Poland, The Republic of Korea, and the United States identified substantial differences in respiratory symptoms and other respiratory illnesses.
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Identifying the Most Prevalent and Costly Chronic Conditions in Medicaid
November 29th 2017High prevalence of chronic conditions has been a key driver of healthcare costs in the United States, and Medicaid beneficiaries tend to have higher rates of chronic diseases than people not on Medicaid.
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Eosinophil Count in Sputum, Not Blood, Is Better Predictor of COPD Severity in Smokers
November 21st 2017Data from a study of smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) indicate that the concentration of eosinophils in the sputum, rather than the blood, is a better predictor of COPD exacerbations and lung function.
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Impact of Symptoms and COPD Severity on Health-Related Quality of Life
November 14th 2017Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent and progressive airflow limitation, and a new study examined the factors responsible for a high St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD based on severity of airflow limitation.
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Long-Term Oxygen Therapy Can Improve Survival in Patients With Oxygen-Dependent COPD
November 9th 2017A new study has shown that long-term oxygen therapy in patients with severe alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can improve survival; however, their outcomes do not improve following lung-transplantation.
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Study Finds a 47% Increased Risk of COPD Hospitalization Among RA Patients
November 1st 2017Previous studies have revealed a potential connection between chronic inflammatory conditions and the predisposition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a new study has found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with a greater risk of COPD hospitalization compared to the general population.
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Study Links Anxiety and Depression Symptoms to COPD Patients and Caregivers
October 4th 2017Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their caretakers may experience symptoms of anxiety and depression that could impact their mortality, quality of life, and healthcare use.
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Chronic Respiratory Disease Death Toll Rising in Recent Decades
September 26th 2017A new analysis finds that the mortality rate from chronic respiratory diseases has risen by almost 30% between 1980 and 2014 in the United States, and that data reflect significant differences in death rates across counties and regions.
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Adding Home-Based Ventilation to COPD Therapy Can Prolong Time to Readmission, Death
May 23rd 2017A JAMA study has found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who received noninvasive ventilation in addition to home oxygen therapy went longer without being readmitted to the hospital or dying than those who received only home oxygen therapy.
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Catching a Cold Poses Risk of Symptom Exacerbation in COPD Patients
March 17th 2017For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), catching a cold is often more than just an annoyance; their risk of experiencing COPD symptom exacerbation rises 30-fold when they exhibit signs of a cold.
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Express Scripts Stops Covering Key Big Pharma Drugs on Clinical, Cost-Effectiveness Grounds
October 11th 2013A few weeks ago, Novo Nordisk ($NVO) said it had lost Express Scripts' business on two of its top drugs, Victoza and NovoLog. Well, that was just part of the action at the pharmacy benefits manager.
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