COPD year in review: COVID-19, triple inhaled therapy, noninvasive ventilation and more

The Healio editors have compiled a list of the most-read COPD news published in 2020.

Highlights in COPD include FDA approval of triple inhaled therapy; new guidance on long-term noninvasive ventilation; positive outcomes with home noninvasive positive pressure use; and risk for adverse outcomes with cannabinoid use in older adults.

Read these articles, and others, below, in no particular order.

Wearing face mask unlikely to cause overexposure to CO2, even in those with lung disease

Wearing a surgical face mask did not cause gas exchange abnormalities in healthy adults or in veterans with severe COPD, researchers reported in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Read more

FDA approves triple inhaled therapy for COPD

The FDA approved triple inhaled therapy for maintenance treatment of patients with COPD, according to a press release from AstraZeneca. Read more

Inhaled corticosteroids fail to protect against COVID-19-related death in asthma, COPD

A study found no benefit of inhaled corticosteroid use in protecting against COVID-19-related mortality in patients with asthma and COPD. Read more

New guidance on long-term noninvasive ventilation in chronic stable hypercapnic COPD

A new clinical practice guideline addresses limited evidence and provides new recommendations for management of noninvasive ventilation in patients with COPD and chronic hypercapnia. Read more

Antibiotics, systemic corticosteroids reduce treatment failure in COPD

When compared with placebo or no intervention, antibiotics and systemic corticosteroids were associated with less treatment failure in adults with COPD exacerbations, according to a meta-analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more

Home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation may improve COPD outcomes

A meta-analysis recently published in JAMA suggests that home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, or NIPPV, may potentially lower the risk for death, hospital admission and intubation among patients with COPD and hypercapnia. Read more

Pulmonary rehab after COPD hospitalization lowers mortality risk

Initiation of pulmonary rehabilitation within 90 days after hospitalization for COPD was associated with significantly lower mortality at 1 year, according to data published in JAMA. Read more

Ensifentrine plus tiotropium improves lung function, quality of life in patients with COPD

Adding ensifentrine to tiotropium demonstrated clinically important improvements in lung function and quality of life at 4 weeks in patients with moderate to severe COPD, according to a new study. Read more

New cannabinoid use may elevate risk for adverse outcomes in older adults with COPD

Older adults with COPD who were new users of oral cannabinoids had increased risk for all-cause mortality and those using higher doses had increased risk for hospitalization for COPD or pneumonia, according to data published in Thorax. Read more

Early tracheostomy yields mortality benefit in mechanically ventilated patients with COPD

Early tracheostomy within 9 days of mechanical ventilation was associated with lower 90-day mortality and hospital length of stay compared with late tracheostomy in patients with COPD, according to results of a retrospective study. Read more