Duh Science

Bacteria in the lungs make COPD patients sicker

Conventional wisdom has held that even though bacteria persist in the lungs of patients with chronic, obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), their presence, referred to as 'colonization,' is innocuous so long as the patient isn't having a flare-up, or exacerbation, of respiratory symptoms.
Now, a new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shows that COPD patients do experience more respiratory symptoms when their lungs are 'colonized' by bacteria, even in the absence of an acute exacerbation.

Yeah.  Go effin figure.