Health Buzz: Experimental COPD Drug Findings and Other Health News

Late-Stage Trial Results Show COPD Drug Effective

Late-stage clinical trials show that Daxas, a drug developed to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition linked to smoking, reduced COPD attacks and improved breathing, Reuters reports. The drug, from Nycomed and Forest Laboratories, reduced serious COPD attacks by 17 percent per patient per year when compared with a placebo; it also raised the volume of air patients could breathe out in one second by close to 50 milliliters, according to Reuters. If approved, the drug will most likely be used in combination with inhaled treatments already on the market. Despite the positive results, its approval by the Food and Drug Administration is not a sure thing, Reuters reports. In an earlier clinical trial, the drug did not produce large enough benefits. The latest results are published in the journal Lancet.

Read about other new COPD treatment findings. Here are 12 reasons to really quit smoking and secrets to help you quit.

5 Ways College Kids Can Protect Themselves Against Swine Flu

Kids are going back to college this week, and swine flu is, too. Schools have been busy getting prepared over the summer, assuming that the new H1N1 flu virus will be a serious factor in the fall, U.S. News contributor Nancy Shute reports.

Colleges will participate in giving the vaccine when it becomes available (and people under age 25 are a group the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a priority to get the shot), but that won't be until October or November. Shute offers 5 ways students can minimize their swine flu risk. Stay alert for recommendations if swine flu hits your campus hard, Shute writes. One strategy under consideration would be to have students observe a "6-foot rule," staying that distance away from other students to reduce virus spread.

Earlier this month, Shute gave tips to help parents prepare for the swine flu threat when school starts. Here are 14 things you should know about swine flu and 5 ways to protect your family.

Why People Leave the Hospital Against Medical Advice

A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reveals that people who leave the hospital against doctors' orders are at higher risk of adverse health outcomes and have increased hospital readmission rates compared with patients who follow doctors' advice, U.S. News's January Payne reports. About 1.2 percent of all hospitalizations in the United States in 2007 ended when patients left against medical advice, according to the AHRQ report. That's up 39 percent from a decade earlier, the report says.

Payne list 3 reasons patients leave the hospital against doctors' orders, according to the report. People who lived in poorer communities were more likely to leave the hospital early than those who lived in wealthier communities, the report states. As might be expected, the medical bill for those who checked themselves out early was smaller ($5,300) than for those who stayed for the advised length of time ($10,400), according to the report.

Consider these 4 ways to save on your medical bills and 4 strategies to reduce the cost of cancer care.

Other Popular Articles From USNews.com

• Battling Diabetes With Diet and Exercise
• 10 Cities Where Coronary Bypass Surgery Outpaces Angioplasty
• 10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep
• 5 Risks Linked to Diabetes Medications
• 7 Steps Newly Diagnosed Diabetics Should Take
• 6 Ways to Reduce Inflammation Without Taking a Statin
• Need Care? Scan the Rankings: Best Nursing Homes, Best Health Plans, and Best Hospitals.