International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Long-term azithromycin therapy in patients with severe COPD and repeated exacerbations.
The aim of this study was to determine whether long-term intermittent azithromycin therapy reduces the frequency of exacerbation in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Long-term azithromycin is well tolerated and associated with significant reductions in AECOPD, hospitalizations, and length of hospital stay in patients with severe COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Comparative StudyComponents of physical capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: relationship with phenotypic expression.
More accurate phenotyping of COPD is of great interest since it may have prognostic and therapeutic consequences. We attempted to explore the possible relationship between the extent of emphysema, as assessed by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and COPD severity. We also included some study variables involving exercise tolerance evaluation and peripheral muscle strength (PMS) measurement. ⋯ Compared with subjects with a non-emphysematous phenotype, subjects with an emphysematous phenotype has a different profile in terms of BMI, lung function, PMS, and exercise capacity.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Lower FEV1 in non-COPD, nonasthmatic subjects: association with smoking, annual decline in FEV1, total IgE levels, and TSLP genotypes.
Few studies have investigated the significance of decreased FEV(1) in non-COPD, nonasthmatic healthy subjects. We hypothesized that a lower FEV(1) in these subjects is a potential marker of an increased susceptibility to obstructive lung disease such as asthma and COPD. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 1505 Japanese adults. ⋯ Airflow obstruction was associated with increased levels of total serum IgE (P = 0.029) and with 2 functional TSLP SNPs (corrected P = 0.027-0.058 for FEV(1)% predicted, corrected P = 0.015-0.033 for FEV(1)/FVC). This study highlights the importance of early recognition of a decreased FEV(1) in healthy subjects without evident pulmonary diseases because it predicts a rapid decline in FEV(1) irrespective of smoking status. Our series of studies identified TSLP variants as a potential susceptibility locus to asthma and to lower lung function in non-COPD, nonasthmatic healthy subjects, which may support the contention that genetic determinants of lung function influence susceptibility to asthma.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Why are some evidence-based care recommendations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease better implemented than others? Perspectives of medical practitioners.
Clinical guidelines for management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include recommendations based on high levels of evidence, but gaps exist in their implementation. The aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of medical practitioners regarding implementation of six high-evidence recommendations for the management of people with COPD. ⋯ This study of medical practitioner perspectives has indicated areas where significant barriers to the implementation of key evidence-based recommendations in COPD management persist. Developing strategies to target the identified categories provides an opportunity to achieve greater implementation of those high-evidence recommendations in the care of people with COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Comparative StudyCost trends among commercially insured and Medicare Advantage-insured patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 2006 through 2009.
Few estimates of health care costs related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are available regarding commercially insured patients in the United States. The aims of this retrospective observational analysis of administrative data were to describe and compare health care resource use and costs related to COPD in the United States for patients with commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage with Part D benefits, and to assess cost trends over time. ⋯ COPD imposed a substantial economic burden on patients and the health care system, with costs increasing significantly in both the Medicare and commercial populations.