Posted on 12/23/2019 3:54:03 PM PST by ConservativeMind
"It has not been very clear what causes the disease and there has been no therapy to stop or reverse lung destruction in emphysema," said Norbert Weissman of the University of Giessen Lung Center in Germany. "There have really been no new concepts about therapy in the last 20 years."
COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is expected to become the third-greatest cause of death worldwide by the year 2020.
In addition to airway inflammation and decreased of respiratory function, COPD is often accompanied by pulmonary hypertension, which is essentially high blood pressure in the lungs. Whether this condition was a cause or a consequence of COPD was not known.
Now, with powerful mouse models of COPD, Weissman and colleagues provide evidence that changes to the pulmonary blood vessels and the development of high blood pressure precede the development of emphysema. They further trace those effects to an inducible form of an enzyme known as nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which catalyzes the formation of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide (NO) and the nitric oxide system are important for opening up blood vessels and maintaining vascular tone. When nitric oxide levels grow too high, however, the molecule can undergo a chemical reaction forming aggressive peroxynitrite.
"Simply put, peroxynitrite can modify protein functions, leading to the destruction of lung tissue," Weissman said.
It appears this is exactly what happens in the development of emphysema. Mice lacking the iNOS enzyme were protected from both emphysema and pulmonary hypertension. Importantly, existing pharmacological agents can block iNOS activity, and mice treated with one of these drugs were protected from COPD-like changes to their lung vasculature. Treatment with the inhibitor also successfully reversed the course of the disease in the mice.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
It is intriguing that these options were found to actually reverse lung destruction.
Wow. I have some loved ones who are smokers or lapsed quitters. This is fascinating. Thanks.
This could have as much impact as Viagra did.
A ping to you, sir.
WOW!
I've been a smoker for 50 years now and currently at a pack and a half a day.
I just had had a lung scan several days ago and my doctor called me today to tell me that the results came out negative and there was no problem with my lungs........
Go figure........
/s
And although my Dad quit when he was about 70 the damage had already been done.The last 19 years of his life were spent on oxygen,in hospitals...essentially chair-bound.
Yup,I'm an anti tobacco crusader.
Great info.
Shame that none of the taxes collected on smoking products are devoted to helping smokers.
Same here. I had a CTscan done too. Both came out negative. 50+ yrs of Camel non filters.
You are fortunate. Also glad you are clear.
Still, there is a decrease in basic lung function over time from smoking. Whether you find that it’s a problem or even something you notice is of course another matter.
My dad, who began smoking in 1943, said the proper way to smoke was to take the smoke in your mouth, then swallow it to the stomach (The original Indian smoke-drink method), the burp it up and blow it out. That way it bypassed the lungs.
I remember seeing an old Tom and Jerry cartoon in which the cat forces the mouse to smoke, and he did it this way.
It will still get you hooked on nicotine real bad.
Dad died at 70 of a heart attack.
8 years after?
Nothing new here.
I am a non- smoker and my lungs were excellent until a few years ago ,when I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis.
My lungs are like those of a heavy lifetime smoker, and no reason to be like that, so they call it Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis(IPF).
I have been on Esbriet the last few years. -Tom
Very interesting. The first prescription my husband was ever put on was for high BP in the ‘90’s..that was diagnosed in a flight physical. Twenty years later he was diagnosed with COPD. I say it makes more sense to call it emphysema than to lump it in with brochitis or asthma or whatever. What a difference it might have made if a lung condition/connection could have been made that long ago to high BP.
Yes, he was former military and smoked for years without a thought given to when he smoked the last one. Just put one out and light another. They were in his pocket so therefore, they must be smoked.
He was diagnosed with COPD in 2008 and needless to say quit smoking then. He had smoked since he was a teenager and smoking when he entered the Air Force in 1954 so say he smoked for 60 years!
He didn’t go on oxygen until 2013 (5 years after diagnosis) and then only as needed but since 2016 he has been on oxygen 24/7 and I am his sole caregiver getting him to the car, to doctor’s offices etc. He struggles just walking from the bedroom to the bathroom or to the table to eat. It’s very hard to watch.
Not preaching to anyone, just a life experience or experiences of two people. I was also diagnosed with COPD and diagnosed after a cough that wouldn’t go away and was told to get a chest Xray - quit smoking the day I was told to get the chest Xray. I DID monitor what I smoked - how much/how often but it didn’t help. Thankfully, I am well enough to take care of him and some days I wonder if I could handle the condition as well as he does as I know he gets very frustrated which is very understandable. Can’t participate in his favorite hobbies - too old to fly now; can do his reloading if he’s able to get to the work bench in warmer weather in the garage but can’t go to the range at any rate.
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, please!
Thank You. I thought my COPD would get better with the winter weather, but has become much worse. I have never had a problem until May when I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a month later told I had COPD too. Was never a smoker, commuted a great deal though and lived in a steel town much of my life. Sucked a lot of jet engine exhaust too. I still think The sulfa based antibiotic used to reduce the size of an inflamed lymph node on the side of my neck scared my lungs. Seems exercise and hiking helps me more than anything and expanding my lungs with full breaths as possible. I’ve always been a fan of Emergen-C (1000mg vitamin C) and will take some tomorrow. I haven’t had a cold or flu for better then 10 years, can’t really remember when. I always thought this fizzy drink was the reason for that. Get the sniffles, drink the fizz, lol. I must be doing something right.
Here comes another river of borrowed Federal cash. Once this hits the market geezers who spent years destroying their bodies will dump another mountain of debt onto their grandchildren so they can live a few more years.
“”they call it Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis(IPF).””
Now that is interesting. Idiopathic meaning - no known cause, right? It must really puzzle the medical profession and of course, yourself. Nothing to explain that diagnosis. Nothing in your life working with certain materials etc.,? And you didn’t even have the pleasure of smoking - and I will admit those years were pleasurable with friends/relatives playing cards, coffee breaks at work etc. I think those coffee breaks were the reason I took up smoking to begin with - because everyone else was smoking. At least that’s what I told myself - but hey, I could get away with it as I didn’t start until my mid 20’s....
You take care....
“COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is expected to become the third-greatest cause of death worldwide by the year 2020.”
Hmmm. How do they account for this since smoking has been banned all over the place and the number of smokers has decreased astronomically? Maybe something else going on? Veganism? Belief in global warming? Being a democrat? Driving a Prius?
Smoking is still widely done in China, India, and other developing countries.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.