A new method of lung imaging could facilitate and improve the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the most common causes of death, reports Nature Medicine.
Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School (USA) have developed a new lung imaging technique called PRM (Parametric Response Mapping). Using the PRM, images obtained with a computer tomograph are analyzed during the inhalation and exhalation phases. The result is images of the lungs with healthy areas green, early lesions yellow, and emphysema lesions red.
Clinical studies have shown that the results obtained with PRM are consistent with the results of standard tests of respiratory function. The new technique, thanks to the visualization of changes in the lungs, should improve the accuracy of diagnosis and facilitate both treatment planning for individual patients and the evaluation of the effects of new drugs and therapies.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) irreversibly reduces airflow through the airways due to chronic bronchitis and bronchiolitis and emphysema. The main symptoms are shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the chest, excess mucus, and coughing. COPD is often confused with asthma, which affects the larger bronchi, does not damage the lung parenchyma, and is usually allergic in nature. Smoking is a major cause of COPD, but exposure to dust and certain chemicals can also trigger it.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), about 210 million people suffer from this disease, and more than 3 million died from it in 2005 – that’s 5 percent. all deaths in the world. The WHO predicts that in 2030, COPD will become the third leading cause of death, after cardiovascular disease and cancer.
It will also be the seventh cause of disability in the world expressed in lost DALYs (disability-adjusted life years). As much as 40 percent. patients with this disease are forced to retire.
Progressive dyspnea may limit the patient’s ability to perform normal daily activities – in severe cases, they cannot leave the house. This is not just a problem for older people – every second person suffering from this disease is under 65 years of age. The disease leads to an increased occurrence of hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and thrombosis. Patients are twice as likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes and malignant neoplasms. They are at risk of osteoporosis and depression. Patients die 10-15 years earlier than their peers (PAP)
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