Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation, mainly affecting middle-aged and elderly populations. With advancing age, prolonged smoking history, and worsening environmental pollution, the patient population continues to expand. Treatment methods include medication, rehabilitation, surgery, and cellular therapy. If the best treatment window is missed, the disease becomes irreversible, easily progressing to respiratory failure or cor pulmonale, and may even be life-threatening.

Emerging Treatment Methods

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy has become a cutting-edge area in recent respiratory disease research. It mainly works by repairing damaged lung tissue and regulating immune responses to improve airway inflammation and gas exchange efficiency. For COPD patients, this therapy offers significant advantages in reversing pulmonary fibrosis, slowing lung function decline, and is especially suitable for recurrent cases.

① Promotes alveolar regeneration: Helps repair damaged alveolar walls and improves ventilation and gas exchange function.

② Suppresses chronic inflammation: Reduces the frequency of inflammatory cell infiltration in the airways.

③ Modulates the immune system: Improves immune imbalance and reduces acute exacerbations.

④ Slows lung function decline: Significantly improves lung capacity and FEV1 values.

⑤ Improves quality of life: Reduces dependence on oxygen therapy and enhances daily physical activity.

Conventional Treatment Methods

1. Inhaled Bronchodilator Therapy

Long-acting β2 agonists or anticholinergic drugs relax airway smooth muscles, relieve airway obstruction, and improve breathing difficulties, making them one of the first-line basic treatments.

2. Inhaled Corticosteroid Combination Therapy

Suitable for moderate to severe patients, this therapy reduces airway inflammation and decreases acute exacerbation rates. It is particularly effective for patients with significant inflammatory phenotypes and should be used under medical supervision.

3. Pulmonary Rehabilitation Training

Including aerobic exercise, lung function training, and psychological intervention, pulmonary rehabilitation improves exercise tolerance, reduces breathlessness, and is an important component of long-term COPD management.

4. Long-term Home Oxygen Therapy

Indicated for patients with hypoxemia during rest in stable periods. Continuous oxygen supplementation improves organ oxygenation and delays further deterioration of heart and lung function.

5. Non-invasive Mechanical Ventilation

Nighttime use of non-invasive ventilators helps relieve respiratory muscle fatigue, correct carbon dioxide retention, improve sleep quality, and enhance morning breathing conditions.

6. Nutritional Intervention and Supplementation

Patients with COPD often suffer from chronic malnutrition. High-protein, high-calorie dietary interventions help strengthen immunity, maintain muscle function, and support basic metabolism.

7. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Adjunct Therapy

Herbal decoctions, acupuncture, and cupping may help relieve chronic cough, sputum, and shortness of breath, providing additional benefits for stable-stage patients alongside Western medical treatments.

8. Preventive Vaccinations

Patients are advised to receive annual influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, which help reduce upper respiratory tract infection risks and lower the probability of COPD exacerbations.

Conclusion

The treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should not rely solely on medication but instead emphasize systematic and individualized strategies. Experts at United Life International Medical Center stress the importance of early intervention and standardized management. The incorporation of emerging approaches such as stem cell therapy offers new treatment opportunities, with the potential to significantly extend quality of life and survival for COPD patients.