Reversing the Irreversible

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Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as chronic airway obstruction, is a common disease. Exacerbations of this disorder accounted for more than 3.5 million hospital days in the United States in 1985.1 Not only is the disease common, but considerable resources are devoted to its treatment. One of every 60 prescriptions written in the United States in 1987 was written to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.2 Is this treatment well directed? In contrast to the highly labile airways found in asthma, the obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease does not respond to the short-term administration of bronchodilator medications. As a . . .