Medicina pulmonar y respiratoria

A New Anti-inflammatory Therapy for COPD

Abstract

Qian Zeng

COPD is a chronic progressive inflammatory lung disease. The key in treating COPD is to treat the inflammation. Current treatments of COPD are LABA, LAMA, and ICS. LABA and LAMA only treat the symptoms of COPD by dilating the small airway; they do not target the underlying mechanism of COPD (the inflammation). ICS only temporarily suppress the inflammation in COPD, cannot terminate the inflammatory reaction and therefore it cannot stop the progression of COPD. Corticosteroid resistant is a big issue in treating COPD. In order to effectively treat COPD, we must find new anti-inflammatory therapies or developing new anti-inflammatory drugs. The author is a clinician and found that the smoke (or the tar) of burning Artemisia argyi (an herb, also called moxa) had special anti-inflammatory effect, which is different to corticosteroid. It not only can effectively treat corticosteroid resistant chronic inflammation, but also can terminate chronic self-perpetuating inflammation. Treatment done for 25 COPD patients with inhalation of moxa smoke, 3/25 patients had no improvement in breathlessness and 22/25 patients became symptoms free after 1-2 months treatment and kept symptoms free without any further treatment.