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"The Vest" shows promise in COPD study
VIENNA, Austria — A pneumatic vest that provides high-frequency chest-wall oscillation is a promising therapy for chronic mucus hypersecretion in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers reported here at the European Respiratory Society 19th Annual Congress.
The data come from the first-ever trial of the vest in COPD patients with previous exacerbations. The product tested in the trial is known as The Vest System.
“Our data, though preliminary, show that greater self-reported adherence to mucus clearance therapy using HFCWO improved quality of life,” Gregory B. Diette, MD, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, said.
The vest used in the study is “broadly” approved for any respiratory disease with secretions but has not been proven to work in several common conditions, like COPD, he noted. The vest helps loosen mucus, which the patient can then readily expel.
“Our sense was that if we can get mucus out of people with COPD, that will help improve airflow through airways and reduce sites for infections to take hold,” Dr. Diette explained. “What we’re hoping ultimately is to reduce exacerbations, which are among the big causes of morbidity.”
