Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease linked with physical inactivity, says study

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from decreased physical activity over time, a new research has revealed. According to scientists, `physical inactivity further worsens the breathing problem in the patients.

COPD also known as chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) is a type of obstructive lung disease that causes breathing problems including shortness of breath, cough and sputum production over time. Mostly caused by tobacco smoking, factors like genetics and air pollution also contribute to the disease.

The study was conducted over 137 patients with COPD and 26 patients with chronic bronchitis. For the study, researchers observed association between the disease progression and change in physical activity. After analysing the data, study authors found that physical activity was significantly reduced among the patients with COPD over the time.“Physical inactivity is associated with morbidity and mortality in COPD,” said lead author Benjamin Waschki from the Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic in Grosshansdorf, Germany.

Researchers noted reduction in energy expenditure per day by 76 kcal, step covered per day by 393 and daily physical activity level (PAL) by 0.04 per year. Reduced PAL is linked with poor airflow this further increases woes for patients already suffering from breathing problems. In addition, reduced physical activity is linked with obesity which might trigger several other diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers recommended patients with chronic lung disease to do exercise regularly at all levels of severity as it might help them against breathing problems, also it might improve quality of life a patient lives.The study was published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Source: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease linked with physical inactivity, says study

Study: Checklist ticks off days from COPD hospital stays

The study, the first to examine the impact of evidence-based checklists on patients with COPD, found that these patients spend less time in the hospital when their doctors manage their care by using a checklist of steps called order sets.As part of the study, investigator Samir Gupta, a pulmonologist at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues, encouraged physicians and staff to use an order set for all patients admitted with worsening COPD. Developed by a team from the respirology and internal medicine wards at St. Michael’s, the order set provided comprehensive admission instructions.

Source: Study: Checklist ticks off days from COPD hospital stays | Medical Economics

Physical activity decreases over time at all levels of COPD severity, leading to further decline

Physical activity decreases substantially over time in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at all levels of severity, according to a new study from researchers in Germany. This decline in physical activity is accompanied by a worsening of lung function and health status, and sustained physical inactivity is associated with progression of both exercise intolerance and muscle depletion.”

Physical inactivity is associated with morbidity and mortality in COPD, but the association between objectively measured physical activity and other disease components over time has not been well studied,” said lead author Benjamin Waschki, MD, of the Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic in Grosshansdorf, Germany. “

In our prospective cohort study, we evaluated the longitudinal association between changes in physical activity and disease progression in 137 patients with COPD and 26 patients with chronic bronchitis.”

The findings were published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Source: Physical activity decreases over time at all levels of COPD severity, leading to further decline | EurekAlert! Science News

InMed Launches Study on Cannabis-Based COPD Therapy

InMed Pharmaceuticals is expanding its product line by initiating studies on a potential treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The clinical stage company specializes in the development of therapeutic options based on cannabis, and will launch a new program designed to discover and assess cannabinoid compounds able to treat COPD.

InMed announced that its new program focused on finding cannabis-based treatments for COPD has already initiated its first drug discovery efforts and preclinical tests in partnership with investigators from the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

“We’re excited to explore avenues to further expand InMed’s pipeline with the addition of new program targeting COPD, the third leading cause of death in the United States,” said InMed’s president and CEO Craig Schneider. COPD is a chronic pulmonary disease that affects more than 50 million people worldwide and progressively degrades the ability to breathe, increasing mucus production, cough and chest tightness.

More: http://lungdiseasenews.com/2015/06/05/inmed-launches-study-cannabis-based-copd-therapy/

Pulmonary rehabilitation ‘should include sleep assessment’

Researchers say that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes for patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should include sleep assessment.

The recommendation comes after the team, from UC San Diego in California, USA, found that the proportion of COPD patients referred for PR who had sleep disordered breathing was much higher than in the general population.

“Pulmonary rehabilitation programs may provide unique platforms to incorporate measures of sleep assessment that could eventually benefit this highly selected group of patients”, Xavier Soler and colleagues write in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

The researchers studied 54 patients who had moderate or severe COPD (mean forced vital capacity 75.5 % predicted) who enrolled in their institution’s PR programme over a 2-year period.

More http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150529/Pulmonary-rehabilitation-e28098should-include-sleep-assessmente28099.aspx

Unique Gene Finding Related to COPD, Asthma, and Certain Cancers

Novel treatments for pulmonary conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may be in the cards with new research findings.

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL) discussed their study highlighting a protein linked to mucus production in eLife.

Published on March 17, investigators documented calcium-activated chloride channel regulator 1 (CLCA1), a protein which came into interest two decades ago but until now was misclassified as a chloride channel.

more Unique Gene Finding Related to COPD, Asthma, and Certain Cancers.

Sue & Carole Spread the News on the Gold Coast

Sue & Carole of to conference
Carole & Sue holding a printed copy of the 2nd Edition

Our two intrepid authors Carol Donnelly and Sue Ward are off to the Gold Coast today to spread the word about the book further afield.

The pair are presenting at The Annual Scientific Meeting for Leaders in Lung Health & Respiratory Science 27 March – 1 April 2015 at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre. This is a joint meeting of The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science.

Good luck girls!

 

 

 

My Travels With COPD

For most passengers, keeping electronic devices charged is an annoyance. But for people flying with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, keeping their portable oxygen powered – so they can breathe – is a serious challenge. But while it takes careful planning and occasional troubleshooting, people with COPD can reach all sorts of destinations.

Suitcase packed? Check. Portable oxygen concentrator with paperwork? Check. Medication in carry-on bag? Check. Once again, Jean Rommes, 70, is ready to travel. Between her consulting and advocacy work, Rommes flies twice a month or so throughout the U.S. and to Canada. With COPD, she’s found advance preparation is the key to (usually) smooth trips.

more My Travels With COPD – US News.

Don’t Forget to Breathe Now on Kindle

We are pleased to be able to announce that the book is now available for your Kindle.

Priced at US$2.99 or equivalent depending on which Kindle Store you download it from.

So if you would like to have a copy to carry around with you you know where to go.

If you don’t have a Kindle there is a Kindle app for Android, iOS, Windows etc.

See your local Kindle Store to purchase:
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