 A new study has shown that the easyhaler dry powder inhaler can be used successfully by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. In COPD, the airways are narrow, which makes breathing difficult. Inhalers are the preferred devices for COPD management, and dry powder inhalers are a commonly used type. However, for dry powder inhalers to work properly, patients must be able to inhale with enough force to breathe the powder particles deep into their lungs. Such forceful inhalation could be a challenge for people with COPD. To examine the success of easyhaler use in patients with COPD, researchers compared two versions of the device with another type of dry powder inhaler, the handyhaler, in 100 patients and 100 healthy volunteers. After being taught how to use the devices, the participants inhaled three times through each device in a random order. Because multiple inhalations were performed in the study, a placebo was used in the devices instead of active medication. The main outcome tested was peak inspiratory flow, defined as the maximum rate of air inhalation through the device. The patients and the healthy volunteers achieved similar peak inspiratory flow rates for all the devices. In addition, all of the subjects achieved the flow rate of 30 liters per minute required for the easyhaler to be effective, even patients with severe airway obstruction. These findings indicate that the breathing difficulties of patients with COPD don't prevent them from using these inhalers properly, especially the easyhaler. A sub-study conducted on 88 of the patients with COPD indicated that most of them learned how to accurately use both the easyhaler and the handyhaler. In addition, most patients preferred the easyhaler. Notably, the peak inspiratory flow rates measured with the in-check dial tool for all three devices correlated well with the rates measured via spirometry. Although steps were taken to reduce bias, this study was open-label, meaning the participants knew which inhalers they were using. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that patients with COPD can use the easyhaler successfully despite their airway obstruction, and that they prefer using the easyhaler over the handyhaler.