Activities potentially leading to mold exposure are associated with adverse COPD outcomes, according to a study published in Pulmonology. Researchers assessed activities and exposures re- lated to mold in 140 patients with COPD, in- cluding those with (60 patients) or without chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA). The im- pact of mold exposure on COPD outcomes was assessed. Occupational contact with agricultural resources, vacuuming once weekly or more often, and not asking visitors to remove shoes on home entry were significantly more common in par- ticipants reporting four or more office visits for COPD symptoms in the previous year. Partici- pants reporting four or more antibiotic courses in the previous year were significantly more likely to live within 1 mile of industrial composting sites, vacuum at least once weekly, and not ask visitors to remove shoes on home entry. There was a trend for patients with CPA to reside with- in 1 mile of farms or agricultural areas. “We’re not able to generalize about the specific risk to COPD patients exposed to mold from this rela- tively small sample,” a co-author said in a state- ment. “However, it would be fair to conclude that activities which bring COPD patients into contact with mold may increase the risk of flar- ing and hospitalization.”