From the Research
The lungs are vital respiratory organs located in the chest cavity that enable breathing and gas exchange, with their primary function being to bring oxygen into the bloodstream while removing carbon dioxide from the body 1. The lungs are a pair of organs, with the right lung having three lobes and the left lung having two lobes, protected by the ribcage.
- Their primary function is to facilitate gas exchange, bringing oxygen into the bloodstream and removing carbon dioxide from the body.
- When we inhale, air travels through the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, eventually reaching millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli, as described in the context of gas exchange in the lung 2.
- These alveoli are surrounded by capillaries where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs across a thin membrane.
- The lungs contain approximately 300-500 million alveoli, providing an enormous surface area for efficient gas exchange.
- The diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle beneath the lungs, contracts and relaxes to facilitate breathing, and lungs also help regulate blood pH, filter small blood clots, and protect against some airborne pathogens through mucus production and the action of cilia that sweep debris away from the lungs. In the context of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the management of the disease involves a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, with the goal of minimizing symptoms, improving exercise performance, and reducing the risk of exacerbations, lung function decline, and mortality 1.
- Recent advances in the pharmacological treatment of COPD include the use of inhaled combination treatments, novel inhaled phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies in patients with COPD, with a precision medicine approach guided by biomarkers such as blood eosinophil counts (BEC) 1.
- The use of long-acting bronchodilators, including long-acting beta-2 agonists and long-acting muscarinic antagonists, is recommended as first-line maintenance treatment of COPD, as they can safely reduce the frequency of exacerbations, alleviate symptoms, and improve quality of life, exercise tolerance, and lung function of patients with COPD 3.