Chest
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Many respiratory conditions have been attributed to toxic dust and fume exposure in World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers, who frequently report symptoms of OSA. We examined the prevalence of new-onset OSA and tested if the prevalence and severity of OSA are related to the presence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). ⋯ The high prevalence of OSA in WTC responders was not explained fully by obesity and sex. Possible mechanisms for the elevated risk of OSA in subjects with CRS include increased upper airway inflammation and/or elevated nasal/upper airway resistance, but these need confirmation.
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Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a serious sequela of pulmonary embolism (PE) and occurs in about 3% of acute PE survivors. Common inherited thrombophilias, including the Factor V Leiden mutation, are not associated with increased risk of CTEPH, even though they increase the risk for VTE. Whether other inherited genetic factors contribute to the risk of developing CTEPH remains unknown. Familial clustering of a disease can indicate inherited genetic risk for that disease. In this study, the Utah Population Database (UPDB), a unique genealogy resource, was used to assess whether CTEPH cases cluster in families. ⋯ The study data suggest that heritable genetic factors influence an individual's risk of developing CTEPH, providing the strongest evidence to date for a genetic contribution to CTEPH risk. Although our data suggest that these inherited genetic factors likely also increase the risk for VTE, they are likely to be distinct from the common inherited thrombophilias.