Respiratory News
People with COPD-related anxiety would benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, a new trial in ERJ Open Research finds. The respiratory symptoms are often upsetting and many experience anxiety as well. This anxiety can aggravate a person’s health, potentially resulting in repeated visits to the hospital. Cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which negative patterns of thought about the self and the world are challenged in order to alter unwanted behavior patterns.
A new study in Thorax, suggests a daily dose of Vitamin D may ward off lung in- fections for those with COPD. Researchers showed giving supplements to Vitamin D-deficient people with COPD nearly halves their rate of potentially fatal attacks. The investigators found there was no reduction among those with higher Vitamin D levels.
In early January 2019, the CDC reported there were more than 7 million people who had gotten the flu. Besides washing your hands frequently and avoiding those who are sick, think about cleaning your cell phone. Clean it thoroughly with a 90 per- cent alcohol cleaning wipe. Viruses not only travel from person to person contact, but viruses that may cause the flu can survive on hard surfaces like those of cell phones and keyboards for up to 48 hours. Avoid sharing personal devices with others!
An article on www.medicalnewstoday. com recently described pulmonary function. Read it at https://tinyurl.com/ycupcyf2
Inogen plans to unveil its latest Portable Oxygen Concentrator – the G5 – in the first half of this year. We can only hope the unit will have a high oxygen output with continuous flow!
An article in CHEST, reports among people with COPD, daily aspirin use is associated with fewer moderate acute exac- erbations of COPD, especially among those with chronic bronchitis.
Global healthcare company, BTG, an- nounced the start of ELEVATE: A random- ized Controlled Study of PneumRx™ Endobronchial Coil System to treat people with emphysema. Recruitment will begin in European countries.
RT Magazine’s Top Stories of 2018
American Thoracic Society physicians believe home oxygen services have wors- ened since the onset of the Competitive BinigddProgram that began almost ten years ago and is now an urgent problem.
FDA approved Teva’s ProAir Digihaler for asthma and COPD. It is the first inhaler with built-in monitoring sensors.
The European Commission recently approved AstraZeneca’s Bevespi Aeroshere in the European Union for treatment of COPD using a pressurized metered-dose inhaler.
PH Top Stories of 2018
Among the top stories of 2018 reported by Pulmonary Hypertension News are:
- coAmpound known as osthole that is used in traditional Chinese medicine shows promise to lower lung blood pressure in those with Pulmonary Arterial Hyperten- sion (PAH).
- People with PAH who can walk more than 437 yards in a 6-minute walk test were found to have a lower risk of hospitaliza- tion and better long-term Those with little daily physical activity had lower survival rates.
- stuAdy found that half of people with idiopathic or heritable PAH have some degree of reduced levels of oxygen in their blood, either at rest or during physical activities. Reduced levels of oxygen in the blood were found to be associated with worse long-term survival, which could be alleviated with using supplementary oxygen.
- Researchers are planning to launch a clinical trial in 2019 to evaluate a new therapy, known as C76, that may inhibit and possibly reverse the damage to blood vessels in
- The FDA approved the first generic formu- lation of Adcirca (tadalafil) for improving exercise capacity in people with