Unusual carbon build-up found in lungs of COPD patients. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 12, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2025 / 06 / 250610230533.htm. European Respiratory Society.

Cigarette smoking is known to impair the immune system's response to infections and promote inflammation in the lungs that can lead to or exacerbate COPD, the third leading cause of death worldwide.

The study found that COPD patients’ alveolar macrophages — a type of lung cell that removes dust, particles and microorganisms from the lungs — contain more carbon than those of smokers. The ...

Lung volume reduction gives emphysema patients' lungs more breathing space Monday, July 17, 2023 A strategic surgery helps emphysema patients breathe easier, and it is drawing people here from far ...