FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new drug therapy may help cut down on the lung function loss experienced by patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study says.

According to the second August issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a combination of salmeterol, a β-agonist, and fluticasone propiniate, an inhaled cortical steroid, proved a successful therapy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in 42 countries.

FRIDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Taking creatine doesn't improve exercise outcomes in people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a U.K. study reports.

Creatine is a popular nutritional supplement used to enhance athletic performance and muscle strength. This study included 100 COPD patients who received either creatine or a placebo during a seven-week pulmonary rehabilitation program.

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch:

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

If you are 40 or older and a current or former smoker, you may be eligible for this study. Participants will receive study medication, lung function tests, EKG's, laboratory tests, and study related physical exams at no cost.

The research site is in St. Louis, Mo.

More information

Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studi....

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Tourette's Syndrome

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- In people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the expectorant carbocisteine seems to help slow worsening of symptoms, Chinese researchers report.

COPD is a progressive, destructive disease of the lungs, usually brought on by smoking, for which there's no known cure. Symptoms include restricted breathing, secretion of mucus, oxidative stress and inflammation of the airway.

WEDNESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Simple patient management can significantly reduce hospitalization and emergency room visits by people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a U.S. study.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research shows that women who quit smoking have a 21 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease within five years of extinguishing their last cigarette.

FRIDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- A computer program may help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) gain better control over their breathing and breathe more efficiently, according to U.S. researchers who are developing the program.

FRIDAY, Feb. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A double lung transplant leads to longer survival than a single lung transplant in patients younger than 60 who are in the final stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), French researchers say.
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Double and single lung transplants are both recognized as treatment options for COPD, but it wasn't clear which procedure gave patients the longest survival time, according to background information in the study. Reports suggest that between 1995 and 2006, about 46 percent of lung transplants were done to treat patients with COPD.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is usually discovered later in life. Have you been diagnosed? Tell us your stories.