http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/org/copd.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.newswise.com/articles/2002/8/082TIPS2.ATS.html http://tobacco.org/news/101573.html 1) The adverse effects of fetal exposure to maternal smoking was associated with asthma and wheezing in those children who had a common genetic susceptibility. 2) Low weight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease showed more muscle atrophy and worse exercise capacity than did those with a normal body mass index. (Amer. J. of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Aug-2002) Newswise Sat, 17 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/1536759 http://tobacco.org/news/101442.html A new drug from Pfizer awaiting approval in the United States promises to revolutionize treatment for a smoking-related lung disease and should become the latest blockbuster for Pfizer, doctors and analysts said. The inhaled medicine, called Spiriva, promises to be the new first choice of treatment for an estimated 16 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD. [This graph only] Houston Chronicle Fri, 16 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/hsn/20020815/hl_hsn/clearer_picture_of_chronic_lung_disease http://tobacco.org/news/101322.html Flare-ups of chronic lung obstruction may be the result of bacterial infections, but not in the way many experts had previously supposed. That's the conclusion of a new study, which found that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were more vulnerable to exacerbations of chronic bronchitis when strains of their resident airway organisms changed. The researchers, who report their findings in this week's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, said their study doesn't prove the connection between COPD flare-ups and new infections. But they said it's a powerful argument for a link between germs and lung symptoms in these patients. "I was convinced before, but I think this represents another strong line of evidence that bacteria do cause some flare-ups of COPD," said Dr. Timothy Murphy, an infection specialist at the Buffalo VA Medical Center and a co-author of the study. "There's something that happens that changes the relationship between bacteria and the host" that's not well understood, he added. . . The prevalence of COPD has jumped sharply among women, who are now more likely than men to die from the disease. However, recent declines in smoking rates could reduce rates of the condition in the future. Although smoking is well known to be the root cause of COPD, scientists have been less certain of what sparks the acutely strained breathing of exacerbations. HealthDay [HealthScout] Thu, 15 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020814/hl_nm/lungs_infection_dc_1 http://tobacco.org/news/101304.html Infection with an unfamiliar bug may worsen the coughing, wheezing and breathlessness that come with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new study findings suggest. When COPD patients are infected with a new bacterial strain, they can end up with exacerbated symptoms and sometimes land in the hospital, researchers report in this week's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. COPD encompasses two lung conditions: chronic bronchitis and emphysema, study co-author Dr. Timothy F. Murphy explained in an interview with Reuters Health. "It's the fourth leading cause of death in the United States," added Murphy, a professor of medicine and microbiology at the University of Buffalo and chief of infectious diseases at the Buffalo V.A. Medical Center. "Ninety percent of cases are caused by smoking." Reuters Wed, 14 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12097232&dopt=Abstract http://tobacco.org/news/100361.html It is therefore concluded that maternal nicotine exposure induced changes at gene level that renders the lungs of the offspring more susceptible to emphysema-like lesions. Experimental Lung Research [Exp Lung Res] Mon, 01 Jul 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.hospitalnetwork.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=%7BF9F9D831-A54F-11D6-A78A-00D0B7694F32%7D http://tobacco.org/news/100246.html About 14 million Americans may have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- a lung condition primarily due to smoking and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States -- and not even know it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. About 14 million Americans may have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- a lung condition primarily due to smoking and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States -- and not even know it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. Ten million adults were listed as diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD in 2000, the CDC said. Of those, about 1.5 million adults visited emergency rooms due to COPD-related conditions, 726, 000 were hospitalized and 119, 000 died. In addition, data from a large government study -- the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III -- estimates 14 million adults suffer from the condition without diagnosis, bring the total for COPD to 24 million Americans. The CDC is encouraging physicians to test lung function in current and former smokers and anybody with respiratory problems Ten million adults were listed as diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD in 2000, the CDC said. Of those, about 1.5 million adults visited emergency rooms due to COPD-related conditions, 726, 000 were hospitalized and 119, 000 died. In addition, data from a large government study -- the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III -- estimates 14 million adults suffer from the condition without diagnosis, bring the total for COPD to 24 million Americans. UPI Fri, 02 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.inq7.net/lif/2002/aug/03/lif_1-1.htm http://tobacco.org/news/100243.html VICTOR Lopez, who is now in his mid-50s, used to believe that life should be lived to the fullest. He had a very active social life, went scuba diving and smoked up to two packs of cigarettes a day. "Why not smoke when everybody else in the disco does?" he would say. He didn't believe his doctor's warnings. He didn't believe those who said that carcinogens from cigarette smoke that clung to his clothing could still be inhaled long after his last puff had dissolved into thin air. Until one day, he could hardly breathe. "It was like diving 150 feet under water with no air in my oxygen tank. There was no air going in and out of my lungs," he said. Victor decided to quit smoking. Seven years later, he still hasn't puffed one cigarette. He also abandoned his poker group whose members all smoked. Today, Victor's constant companion is a stroller that carries an oxygen tank-not for scuba diving, but to get his supply of oxygen. Philippine Daily Inquirer Philippines Sat, 03 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=1&id=508381 http://tobacco.org/news/100192.html The death rate from chronic lung obstruction has tripled among American women in the last two decades, according to a new government report that also shows the disease in general is vastly under-diagnosed. As many as 24 million Americans suffer symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), mostly due to smoking, the report says. But 14 million of them aren't properly diagnosed with these health problems, which include chronic bronchitis and emphysema, it adds. Not only is the prevalence of COPD about 2.4 times higher than physicians formally determine, but women are now more likely than men to die from the disorder, according to the new figures. "COPD is now a woman's disease," says Dr. David Mannino, a lung expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lead author of the surveillance report. Mannino blames the "alarming" increase on the rise in smoking among women after World War II. . . The rate of death from the disease among women tripled between 1980 and 2000, from 20 per 100,000 to 57 per 100,000. It rose much more modestly among men, from 73 to 82 per 100,000, during that period. But in the year 2000, government officials say, there were 59,936 female deaths from COPD in 2000 vs. 59,118 male deaths. Smoking is believed to account for 80 to 85 percent of COPD cases in the United States . . . Hurd's group wants doctors to take a more active role in screening their patients, particularly smokers, for evidence of lung impairment. That includes using a device called a spriometer that measures airway function, and not simply relying on self-reported complaints. HealthDay [HealthScout] Thu, 01 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.msnbc.com/news/788780.asp?0dm=V13KH&cp1=1 http://tobacco.org/news/100141.html Aug. 1 — The rate of emphysema is growing rapidly in the United States, especially among women, report federal health officials. And for the first time, women have edged past men in deaths from the debilitating lung condition. LAVERTA ODEGAARD started smoking at 17, continued for 40 years and now she can walk only when breathing with an oxygen tank. “It’s the most depressing thing, it’s confining, it’s embarrassing, it hurts. It’s not the way I wanted to spend my golden senior years,” Odegaard said. Odegaard has emphysema and severe bronchitis — conditions that often go together. The figures released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal a massive public health problem caused by smoking. Ten million Americans have been diagnosed with the lung disease and another 14 million have it but don’t know it yet. The death rate is increasing dramatically — especially among women — because so many took up smoking after the 1940s. In 1980, emphysema killed 16,000 women and 37,000 men. In 2000, it killed 60,000 women and 59,000 men. MSNBC Thu, 01 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020801/hl_nm/lung_diagnosis_dc_1 http://tobacco.org/news/100140.html Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is underdiagnosed in the US, chiefly in its milder and more treatable forms, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia reported on Thursday. COPD includes several diseases that inhibit lung function, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. During 2000, roughly 10 million US adults reported receiving a diagnosis of COPD from their physician. But data from a national survey indicate that roughly 24 million US adults have impaired lung function. . . "We have evidence from national surveys that a substantial 14% of the population has objective evidence of mild-to-moderate COPD, but a relatively small proportion of them, roughly 30%, have actually been diagnosed with COPD, " he said. . . "These data confirm that COPD is now a women's health disease, " Mannino said. "The increase in these trends for women probably reflects the increase in smoking among women in the US since the 1940s." Reuters Thu, 01 Aug 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2163711.stm http://tobacco.org/news/100035.html Smoking makes you prone to serious chest illnesses - but eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is likely to cut the risk, say experts. Scientists have always wondered why some heavy smokers fall ill as a result of their habit, but others stay in reasonably good health. It is suspected that genes may play a role, along with diet and other lifestyle factors. Evidence to support the diet link was published this week in the European Respiratory Journal. A study of 300 smokers, who were all over 45 years old and had smoked the equivalent of a pack of 20 cigarettes a day for a decade, found that it appeared to have a significant influence. The risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - a progressive and incurable combination of bronchitis and emphysema - dropped by more than half when smokers ate more than 121 grams of fruit and vegetables a day. BBC Online Wed, 31 Jul 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020722/220227_1.html http://tobacco.org/news/99315.html Everyone coughs sometimes, but some people cough nearly all the time. For these people, the first program in Los Angeles expressly designed to identify the reasons for chronic cough and treat its symptoms has been opened at the Institute for Better Breathing. The Institute is the premier regional medical group providing comprehensive and innovative treatment for pulmonary (lung) conditions and diseases. "Coughing is one of the most common complaints for which people seek medical attention, but the cause may not be immediately apparent," says Giovanni Smith, M.D., a board-certified pulmonologist and one of five physicians at the Institute. "In the greatest majority of cases, a proper medical examination by physicians expressly trained in this field can isolate the specific cause of cough and successfully treat it." . . Chronic cough, technically called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), includes several related conditions that limit the ability of an individual to exhale. Combined, these conditions kill over 100,000 Americans each year, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. after coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. The two most serious of these conditions are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Business Wire Mon, 22 Jul 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1261014a1501,FF.html http://tobacco.org/news/98235.html Manukau residents will be the first to breathe easier when ground-breaking research into treatment for smoking-related diseases is trialled locally next year. South Auckland Health has a $3.6 million grant to set up a research centre with Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, targeting breakthrough treatments for chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as "smoker's lung", is predicted to be the fifth major cause of death worldwide by 2020. . . Manukau's high rates of "smoker's lung" make it the most logical location for research, says Middlemore Hospital's academic head of medicine, Dr Harry Rea, who leads a team of 10 researchers. The researchers, funded for four years by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, will work to improve the design of nebulisers and humidifiers used to relieve COPD symptoms. Independent Newspapers Ltd. / STUFF New Zealand Tue, 09 Jul 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,123202,00.html? http://tobacco.org/news/95166.html A REGULAR morning cough, excessive phlegm and breathlessness are signs that smokers are developing a chronic, disabling lung condition that could lead to an early death. But a recent study has found that many smokers here ignore these early warning signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dismissing them as 'smoker's cough'. Nearly a third of the 200 smokers interviewed here last July for the study said that they experienced one or more of these symptoms. But only 16 per cent saw the symptoms as serious enough to consult a doctor. The study on smokers' attitudes was commissioned by German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. It was conducted in six South-east Asian countries by an independent research firm. Straits Times Sat, 01 Jun 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/10/1404 http://tobacco.org/news/94151.html CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor preferentially expressed on lymphocytes, particularly on type-1 T-lymphocytes. Smokers who develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a chronic bronchopulmonary inflammation that is characterized by an increased infiltration of T-lymphocytes, particularly CD8+, in the airways and lung parenchyma. . . Immunoreactivity for the CXCR3-ligand CXCL10 was present in the bronchiolar epithelium of smokers with COPD but not in the bronchiolar epithelium of smoking and nonsmoking control subjects. Most CXCR3+ cells coexpressed CD8 and produced interferon . These findings suggest that the CXCR3/CXCL10 axis may be involved in the T cell recruitment that occurs in peripheral airways of smokers with COPD and that these T cells may have a type-1 profile. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Wed, 15 May 2002 04:00:00 GMT