Respiratory – Asthma/COPD

May is Asthma Awareness Month.   It is a time to focus on a disease that affects more than 250 million people worldwide. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes swelling and narrowing of the airways. This leads to symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. While many people manage asthma with inhalers and medications, there is still no true cure.

A 2025 narrative review published in the Medical Journal of Australia highlights exciting technological advances that may bring us closer than ever to that goal. Researchers believe that scientific innovation,  especially in genomics, artificial intelligence, and advanced cell analysis could help define different types of asthma and develop targeted treatments that may one day lead to cures.

What did the research discover? This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CAPTURE screening tool in identifying undiagnosed, clinically significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care settings. The CAPTURE tool consists of five questions about symptoms and exposure, along with a lung function test for some patients. Researchers analyzed...

What did the research discover? Many people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma don’t know they have it, so they aren’t getting the right treatment. This study looked for adults in the community who had breathing problems but no diagnosis to see if early treatment could improve their health and reduce their need for medical care. Researchers...

What did the research discover? Researchers studied whether using computers and mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, could help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) manage their condition better than traditional methods, such as face-to-face meetings or written materials. To find the most reliable studies, the researchers searched...