Lung patients may need help sooner

ScieNTiSTS have discovered that permanent lung damage caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (cOpD) starts earlier than previously thought — a finding that could lead to more effective treatment, reports The lancet Respiratory Medicine.

cOpD, which affects about a million people in Britain, is an umbrella term for progressive lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. patients find it difficult to breathe, partly because the airways become inflamed.

Researchers analysed lung tissue samples and found a substantial loss of function even in mild cOpD. currently, patients with minor or no symptoms are given minimal or no treatment. The researchers suggest that this could now change.