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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Trial of Significant New Option to Treat Advance
Emphysema Needs Patients
Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema Trial (EASE) is
international
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Normal vs. emphysema lung.
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March 12, 2008 The test of a significant new
option for those suffering with advanced emphysema will be the mission
of EASE (Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema) Trial, an international,
multi-center clinical trial. Over 3.1 million Americans have been
diagnosed with emphysema, of which 91% were 45 years of age or older.
Predominantly caused by smoking, it generally strikes people between
ages 50 and 60.
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Health & Medicine |
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The study focuses on a new procedure, called airway
bypass, that involves creating pathways in the lung for trapped air (one
of the primary causes of shortness breath) to escape, according to
researchers at Henry Ford Hospital, the only hospital in Detroit
participating in the study.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a
term referring to two lung diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema,
that are characterized by obstruction to airflow that interferes with
normal breathing. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the
United States and is projected to be the third leading cause of death
for men and women by the year 2020. There is no cure for COPD.
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Airway bypass for emphysema.
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Emphysema is an irreversible disease characterized
by the destruction of lung tissue and a subsequent decrease of the
lungs natural elasticity, which causes the small airways of the lungs
to collapse.
Shortness of breath worsens as this process
progresses, eventually leading to a situation where all of the inhaled
air cannot be exhaled, and in essence air becomes trapped in the chest.
This hyperinflation significantly contributes to the shortness of
breath experienced by patients with emphysema.
We are excited to be part of this study because
currently there are limited treatment options for most patients with
emphysema beyond lung transplantation. Patients usually have very poor
quality of life, as each breath can be difficult, says Michael Simoff,
M.D., a Henry Ford pulmonologist and principal investigator of the
study.
By creating new pathways for airflow with the
airway bypass procedure, we hope to reduce hyperinflation and all the
problems it causes for patients. If patients can breathe easier, our
work will be worth it.
Physicians commonly use bronchoscopes to examine
the airways within the lungs. During the airway bypass procedure
physicians will first use a Doppler probe inserted through the
bronchoscope to identify a site in the airway that is free of blood
vessels.
A special needle is then used to make a small
opening and an Exhale Drug-Eluting Stent is placed in the passageway to
keep it open. The procedure involves placing up to six drug-eluting
stents. The total time of the procedure is approximately two hours.
The airway bypass procedure could be an excellent
option for those who are not suitable candidates for lung transplant
surgery or as a bridge for those who could possibly spend years on a
lung transplant list, Dr. Simoff says.
Patients eligible for the study must be older than
35, dont smoke and were diagnosed with advanced widespread emphysema.
They also will receive any medical procedures at no cost, receive at
least 14 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation therapy and have eight to 16
physician appointments. For more information about the study, call
866-431-3273 or visit
www.EASEtrialUS.com.
 About
Emphysema
Emphysema is a type of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involving damage to the
air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. As a result, your body does not get the
oxygen it needs. Emphysema makes it hard to catch your breath. You may
also have a chronic cough and have trouble breathing during exercise.
The most common cause is cigarette smoking. If you
smoke, quitting can help prevent you from getting the disease. If you
already have emphysema, not smoking might keep it from getting worse.
Treatment is based on whether your symptoms are mild, moderate or
severe. Treatments include inhalers, oxygen, medications and sometimes
surgery to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
>>
More at MedlinePlus
Emphysema rarely occurs in those under 45. Men tend
to have higher rates of emphysema. In 2002 the emphysema prevalence rate
was 52% higher in males compared to females.
Together with chronic bronchitis and other chronic
lower respiratory diseases, excluding asthma, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S,
claiming the lives of more than 120,000 Americans.
>>
Emphysema(American Lung Association) Also available in
Spanish
>>
More About Emphysema Mayo Clinic
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