Inhaled menthol for dyspnea relief during cycle exercise in COPD: a randomized trial.

Background: Menthol inhalation (MI) lowers dyspnea ratings during loaded breathing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cycle exercise in healthy adults. Proposed mechanisms include stimulation of cold receptors in the upper airways, modulating perception of breathing-related effort and airflow.

Research Question: Does MI also alleviate exertional dyspnea in COPD?

Study Design And Methods: Twenty COPD patients (60% male, 68±6 years, FEV=47±17 %predicted) completed 2 constant-load cycle exercise tests (73±7 %peak power output) to exhaustion with menthol or placebo (strawberry flavoring) added to the breathing circuit in counter-balanced order and on separate days.

AI-powered evaluation of lung function for diagnosis of interstitial lung disease.

Background: The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) can pose a challenge as the pulmonary function test (PFT) is only minimally affected at the onset. To improve early diagnosis, this study aims to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) software in assisting pulmonologists with PFT interpretation for ILD diagnosis. The software provides an automated description of PFT and disease probabilities computed from an AI model.

Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of stratified aggregate data.

Background: A 2021 meta-analysis of 37 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D supplementation for prevention of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) revealed a statistically significant protective effect of the intervention (odds ratio [OR] 0·92 [95% CI 0·86 to 0·99]). Since then, six eligible RCTs have been completed, including one large trial (n=15 804). We aimed to re-examine the link between vitamin D supplementation and prevention of ARIs.

Exploring DNA methylation, telomere length, mitochondrial DNA, and immune function in patients with Long-COVID.

Background: Long-COVID is defined as the persistency or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation. Common persistent symptoms are fatigue, sleep disturbances, post-exertional malaise (PEM), pain, and cognitive problems. Long-COVID is estimated to be present in about 65 million people.

Content, uptake and adherence of exercise interventions after an acute exacerbation of COPD: a scoping review.

Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation is underutilised in patients after an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Retrieving information regarding the setting, training modalities and the uptake and adherence to exercise interventions for these individuals in a vulnerable state could potentially guide future research.

Aim: To provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the content, uptake and adherence of different exercise interventions for patients after an AECOPD.