World COPD Day 2024: Recent updates in management, treatment

November 20 marks World COPD Day 2024, a worldwide effort with three goals: raising awareness, sharing knowledge and discussing ways to lower disease burden, according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.

This year, the World COPD Day theme is “Know Your Lung Function,” emphasizing the significance of lung function testing for diagnosing individuals with COPD and tracking lung health over time, according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

“Measuring lung function throughout life can provide opportunities for early diagnosis and prompt treatment of multiple lung diseases, including COPD,” GOLD writes on the World COPD Day webpage.

In recognition of World COPD Day, the Healio editors have compiled recent news on COPD.

2025 GOLD report addresses cardiovascular risk, climate change, pulmonary hypertension

To reflect developments in COPD research and care, the 2025 GOLD report features three new sections and several sections that have been updated/revised. Read more.

Risk for all-cause mortality elevated in older adults with COPD, social isolation

Among older adults with COPD, the risk for all-cause mortality was heightened with vs. without social isolation, according to a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more.

GLP-1 agonists may improve respiratory outcomes among patients with COPD, type 2 diabetes

Patients with both COPD and type 2 diabetes who used GLP-1 agonists or co-agonists had improved respiratory outcomes vs. those who used other type 2 diabetes medications, according to data presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Older age, multiple comorbidities frequent in patients starting inhaled COPD therapy

Among adults with COPD starting a new inhaled maintenance treatment, common characteristics included older age and having multiple comorbidities, according to a poster presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more

Exacerbation, hospitalization rates smaller with use vs. no use of metformin in COPD

Among adults with COPD, the odds for exacerbations and hospitalizations were elevated in patients who did not use vs. did use the diabetes medication metformin, according to an abstract presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Costs, health care utilization rise after patients with COPD become frequent exacerbators

After progressing to GOLD group E, patients with COPD faced higher costs and used health care resources more, according to a poster presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Common muscle relaxants associated with increased COPD exacerbation risk

Patients with COPD using the common muscle relaxants cyclobenzaprine or methocarbamol had increased risk for COPD exacerbations at follow-up, according to data presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Tai chi plus yoga improves functional fitness, quality of life in older men with COPD

Older men with COPD experienced improved lung function, functional fitness and quality of life after partaking in a tai chi plus yoga program for 12 weeks, according to results published in Respiratory Medicine. Read more.

Single vs. multiple inhaler COPD triple therapy decreases risk of cardiopulmonary events

Patients with COPD faced a decreased risk for severe cardiopulmonary events if treated with single inhaler vs. multiple inhaler triple therapy, according to data presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. Read more.

Reference:

• World COPD Day 2024. https://goldcopd.org/world-copd-day-2024/. Accessed Nov. 18, 2024.