Oxygen 'is a great therapy for COPD sufferers'
A US professor has claimed that breathing oxygen-enriched air is an effective therapy for those who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and other lung conditions.
Dr Richard Casaburi told delegates at the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation that long-term oxygen therapy can bring relief to those with the illness.
The physiological benefits of therapy include increasing the oxygen supply to the body's tissues and inhibits activity of the carotid body, which monitors oxygen levels in the blood, he stated.
"We give long-term oxygen because we want to slow COPD progression and decrease mortality. For those who have low oxygen levels while at rest, it certainly does," Dr Casaburi said.
A study recently published online in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports found that oxygen-enriched air can help COPD patients exercise at the intensity needed to provide optimal stimulation of the muscles and heart.
Posted by Stewart Elliott
26/01/2010 17:47:28
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