News

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green circle with lungs
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Research Feature
Millions of people in America have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—the umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis—and millions more have it and don’t know it. People in rural and other underserved communities are more likely to face higher rates of COPD and worse health outcomes from the disease. And for...
hands in the shape of heart surrounding lungs
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Research Feature
For more than a decade, NHLBI’s Learn More Breathe Better SM program has worked with leading lung health organizations around the country to educate, engage, and empower the more than 16 million Americans living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as their families, caregivers, and health care providers. As the nation marks...
An older lady with an oxygen tube in nose looking off into the distance
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News Release
According to a new study, people with small airways relative to the size of their lungs may have a lower breathing capacity and, consequently, an increased risk for COPD—even if they don’t smoke or have any other risk factors. The study, funded in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of...
Dr. Adrienne Campbell-Washburn speaking at NHLBI’s Division of Lung Diseases 50th anniversary symposium
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Research Feature
NIH researchers can maintain image quality from different scanning systems while reducing or avoiding radiation exposure When doctors want detailed images of the lungs, more often than not they turn to chest CT scans . Over the years these scans have been particularly useful in diagnosing lung diseases—so useful, in fact, that in the United States...
Group of hands holding red ribbon stop drugs and HIV/AIDS awareness
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Research Features
Chris Camp recalls the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when being diagnosed as HIV positive was considered a virtual death sentence. Doctors had no medications that could really help. People with the disease often did not survive more than a year or two. Camp, now 63, says he personally lost more than 500 friends. Among them: his first husband...
Senior hispanic man man testing breathing function by spirometry. Diagnosis of respiratory function in pulmonary disease.
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Research Feature
It is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, affecting nearly 16 million people, but for many Americans, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, still remains a mystery. That’s why in 2017, at the request of Congress, the NHLBI led a year-long, multi-team effort to figure out what it would take to relieve the burden of this...
Health professional reviewing radiography of lungs
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News Release
A new study provides evidence to support a simple measurement for diagnosing clinically significant airflow obstruction, the key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The study found that a 70% ratio of two indicators of lung function proved as or more accurate than...
A healthcare provider examines a chest x-ray to look for signs of COPD or other problems with the lungs.
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Statement
On November 21, World COPD Day 2018, the National Institutes of Health unites with millions of people to renew our long-standing commitment to reducing the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ), a serious and debilitating lung disease. A leading cause of death, COPD impacts an estimated 251 million people worldwide . While many...
photo of doctor reviewing lung scan
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News Release
Researchers have discovered that genetic variations in the anatomy of the lungs could serve as indicators to help identify people who have low, but stable, lung function early in life, and those who are particularly at risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because of a smoke-induced decline in lung function. The results of the study...
Patient being examined with a stethescope.
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News Release
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), along with federal and non-federal partners, today released the first-ever COPD National Action Plan, a detailed, patient-centered roadmap for addressing one of the most urgent health concerns facing Americans. The plan was released at the American Thoracic Society International Conference...
human lung anatomy
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Research Feature
OVERVIEW Purpose: To determine whether long-term oxygen treatment is beneficial for group of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and moderately low levels of blood oxygen. Background: COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, affecting an estimated 15 million Americans. Millions more do not even know that...
child being treated for chest infection
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Media Availability
WHAT : Scientists funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have shown a link between persistent childhood asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Persistent asthma is characterized by recurrent breathing difficulties irrespective of medication use. COPD is a debilitating lung disease that typically affects current or...