Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cost more than $30 billion per year in medical costs, hospitalization, physician office visits, and other indirect costs (e.g., loss of work days and premature mortality), and these costs continue to escalate as the prevalence of COPD continues to rise.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) generally describes a group of respiratory tract diseases that are characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Diseases associated with COPD include bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and lung cancer. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death and the second leading cause of major disability among the major diseases in the United States. COPD is projected to become the third leading cause of death by 2020. More than 120,000 deaths from COPD occur annually in the U.S., making this the only disease in the top five killers that has a rising death rate (183% increase in the death rate from 1965 to 2002). The U.S. healthcare economy is facing increasing COPD costs.
Revalesio Corporation (Tacoma, WA) has developed compositions and methods for treating lung, respiratory disorders and conditions characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Diseases which can be treated include: asthma, rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD-associated conditions (e.g., bronchitis, emphysema, asthma), emphysema, pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza, SARS, tuberculosis, and whooping cough (pertussis), and the like).
According to inventors Richard L. Watson, Anthony B. Wood and Gregory J. Archambeau, a subject is treated by administering a therapeutic composition comprised of at least one oxygen-enriched electrokinetic fluid. The fluid is made of an ionic aqueous solution of charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures. The compositions are detailed in U.S. Patent Application 20100008997.
In certain aspects, the methods include regulating intracellular signal transduction by modulation of at least one of cellular membranes, membrane potential, membrane proteins (e.g., membrane receptors, (e.g., to G protein coupled receptors, and intercellular junctions). Additional aspects include therapeutic compositions, and combination treatment methods that include administration of electrokinetically generated fluid with charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent.
The percentage of dissolved oxygen molecules present in the fluid as the charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures is a percentage selected from the group consisting of greater than: 0.01%, 0.1%, 1%, 5%; 10%; 15%; 20%; 25%; 30%; 35%; 40%; 45%; 50%; 55%; 60%; 65%; 70%; 75%; 80%; 85%; 90%; and 95%.
The total dissolved oxygen is substantially present in the charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures. The charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures substantially have an average diameter of less than a size selected from the group consisting of: 90 nm; 80 nm; 70 nm; 60 nm; 50 nm; 40 nm; 30 nm; 20 nm; 10 nm; and less than 5 nm. The ionic aqueous solution is a saline solution. In certain aspects, the fluid is superoxygenated.
The superoxygenated fluids prevent or treat COPD by ameliorating symptoms of COPD. Some symptoms of COPD include, but are not limited to cough, sputum (mucus) production, shortness of breath (especially with exercise), wheezing, and chest tightness.
The fluids can also treat chronic bronchitis. Some symptoms of chronic bronchitis it can alleviate include soreness of the chest, coughing, wheezing, and mucus production.
The fluids can also treat chronic bronchitis. Some symptoms of chronic bronchitis it can alleviate include soreness of the chest, coughing, wheezing, and mucus production.
It can also be used to treat emphysema symptoms such as difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, mucus production, and a blue color to the skin.
Charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures can also be used in preventing and/or treating lung infection, including viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. Some symptoms of lung infection alleviated include dry or productive cough, chest pain, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, headache, fever, chills, excessive sweating, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, ear or eye pain, shortness of breath, and rapid respiratory rate.
Charge-stabilized oxygen-containing nanostructures may also be used in preventing and/or treating allergic rhinitis and/or allergic rhinitis, including infection, inflammation, mucus production and/or secretion, burning, itching, and sneezing.
