COPD
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Epidemiologic studies suggest that as many as 75% of patients with COPD have concomitant nasal symptoms and more than 1/3 of patients with sinusitis also have lower airway symptoms of asthma or COPD. Because the inflammatory response of the upper and lower airways are similar, and both sites have a similar exposure to allergens and irritants, it is not surprising that rhinitis or sinusitis would coexist with COPD. ⋯ Postnasal drainage of nasal inflammatory mediators during sleep also may increase lower airway responsiveness. Therapy of nasal and sinus disease is associated with improved pulmonary function in patients with COPD.
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Inhaled corticosteroids are often used to manage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, although the evidence regarding their long-term efficacy in preventing or reducing adverse health outcomes is not definitive. This retrospective cohort study analyzed whether regular inhaled corticosteroid use is associated with reduced health care utilization and all-cause mortality related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Subjects were 2,902 health maintenance organization members aged 50 and over who met criteria for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ⋯ These findings generally persisted in separate analyses stratified by asthma status and in sensitivity analyses using four alternative definitions of regular medication use, with comparable results when regular medication use was treated as a fixed covariate defined at the start of follow-up. We conclude that use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with reduced risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations and all-cause mortality. This benefit was most pronounced among never-smokers and in those with evidence of co-morbid asthma.
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The aim of this study was to describe the impact of using bronchodilators on the prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a population-based survey (Platino study). A cluster sampling of subjects 40 years of age or older, representative of the metropolitan areas of 5 Latin American cities (Sao Paulo, Mexico, Montevideo, Santiago and Caracas) was chosen. Spirometry according to ATS standards was done before and after inhalation of 200 micrograms of salbutamol in 5183 subjects. ⋯ More subjects are below the 5th percentile of FEV(1)/FVC and FEV(1)/FEV(6) using reference values for tests after bronchodilator use than using the reference values determined without bronchodilator testing. Testing after bronchodilator use reduces the prevalence of airflow obstruction from 32 to 39% depending on the definition used. In addition, the subjects who were still obstructed after bronchodilator use were the ones who showed more respiratory symptoms and exposure to tobacco and other smokes and dusts, than subjects with reversible obstruction, suggesting an increased specificity for COPD.