Tools & Resources

• 7 Signs of COPD
• Bronchitis: A Visual Overview
• Energy-Boosting Foods for COPD
• COPD Myths & Facts
• Is It Bronchitis or a Cold?
• Types of Lung Diseases

News and FeaturesRelated to Lung Disease & Respiratory Health

121. Is Your Home's Air Unhealthy? Try Plants
     
     Dec. 4, 2009 -- Certain plants can remove dangerous airborne contaminants commonly found in homes, new research suggests. The contaminants plants can remove from the air include harmful volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, octane, alpha-pinene, and trichloroethylene (TCE), the resear
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122. COPD: Awareness Climbs, but Understanding Lags
     
     Nov. 4, 2009 -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which makes breathing tough for one in every five people over age 45, is becoming a better-known condition, but nearly half of the people in a survey doubt it can be treated. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National In
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123. Bacteria May Lurk on Your Showerhead
     
     Sept. 14, 2009 -- Showerheads in your home may harbor potentially infectious bacteria and enrich their growth, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Colorado sampled gunk, which they call biofilm, from 45 germy showerheads in nine U.S. cities, then analyzed the ribosomal RNA g
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124. Early COPD Treatment Slows Disease
     
     Aug. 27, 2009 - Early treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) slows loss of lung function and likely extends survival, a large-scale clinical trial shows. COPD is almost always caused by smoking. It includes two diseases: chronic bronchitis, in which the airways become inflamed; an
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125. Outdoor Pollution and Lung Function Effects
     
     In 1996, the city of Atlanta took dramatic steps to improve the city's air quality for the summer Olympics. In the process, it showed how reducing air pollution can improve lung function. What city officials did -- switching to rapid transit and buses that ran on natural gas instead of diesel -- dec
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126. COPD May Contribute to Mental Decline
     
     July 8, 2009 -- A new study shows that severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with greater cognitive impairment in older adults. Previous research has already linked COPD with impaired cognitive function, or impaired mental skills, but researchers say this is the first stu
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127. Smoking Pot, Cigarettes Ups COPD Risk
     
     April 13, 2009 -- People who smoke both cigarettes and marijuana have a greater risk for developing the progressive lung disease COPD than cigarette smokers who don't smoke pot, a new study shows. Smokers in the study who reported using both tobacco and marijuana were three times as likely as nonsmo
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128. Air Pollution Is Dangerous, but Deadly?
     
     March 11, 2009 -- Long-term exposure to ground-level ozone significantly increases the risk of death from respiratory problems, a new study shows. A team of scientists says the risk of dying from respiratory problems is more than 30% greater in metropolitan areas with the highest ozone concentration
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129. Belly Fat Bad for Your Lungs?
     
     March 6, 2009 -- Inflating that "spare tire" around your waist may put the squeeze on your lungs, a new French study shows. Scientists have long suspected abdominal obesity to pose its own health risks, aside from those of being overweight. Abdominal obesity is a component of metabolic syndrome, whi
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130. FDA OKs Asthma Drug for COPD
     
     March 2, 2009 -- The FDA has approved the use of Symbicort pMDI (pressurized metered-dose inhaler), which is used to treat asthma, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to AstraZeneca, which makes Symbicort, the FDA approved Symbicort for COPD based on two clinical trials
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