Chest
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Heart failure (HF) is associated with poor prognosis, and the identification of biomarkers of its severity could help in its treatment. In a pilot study, we observed high levels of acetone in the exhaled breath of patients with HF. The present study was designed to evaluate exhaled acetone as a biomarker of HF diagnosis and HF severity. ⋯ EBA not only is a promising noninvasive diagnostic method of HF with an accuracy equivalent to BNP but also a new biomarker of HF severity.
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Subjective measurement of physical activity using questionnaires has prognostic value in COPD. However, their lack of accuracy and large individual variability limit their use for evaluation on an individual basis. We evaluated the capacity of the objective measurement of daily physical activity in patients with COPD using accelerometers to estimate their prognostic value. ⋯ The objective measurement of the daily physical activity in patients with COPD using an accelerometer constitutes an independent prognostic factor for mortality and hospitalization due to severe exacerbation.