Clinics in chest medicine
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Clinics in chest medicine · Jun 2007
ReviewFertility and pregnancy: common concerns of the aging cystic fibrosis population.
Due to dramatically improved survival, cystic fibrosis (CF) is now considered a chronic disease of adults. Many men and women who have CF are interested in starting families and have questions regarding fertility and pregnancy, making discussion of these issues important in routine CF care. This article addresses key issues of fertility in men and women who have CF and discusses pregnancy, including maternal and fetal outcomes, highlighting advances over the last decade.
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In the last 2 decades significant strides have been made in the application of chest imaging modalities to assess cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. This article covers current chest imaging modalities. It discusses CT, the research modality most commonly used to assess lung disease in CF, new insights regarding CF lung disease, and future directions in research and clinical care.
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Clinics in chest medicine · Mar 2007
ReviewGenetics and mediators in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an uncommon disorder of the pulmonary vasculature characterized by remodeling of the smallest pulmonary arteries, leading to a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. Various forms of PAH exist, including familial (FPAH) and idiopathic (IPAH) forms and associated conditions. FPAH transmits as an autosomal dominant trait that exhibits genetic anticipation but also markedly reduced penetrance (20%). ⋯ The cause of the variable phenotypic expression of PAH among carriers of mutated BMPR2 genes and patients is unclear, and likely related to environmental and genetic modifiers of disease not yet fully elucidated. Although BMPR2-related pathways seem to be pivotal, many other mediator pathways participate in the pathogenesis of different forms of PAH and are being actively investigated, both independently and in combination. As understanding of the molecular basis of this devastating disease improves, opportunities for earlier diagnosis, additional therapeutic regimens, and perhaps disease prevention will emerge.
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Clinics in chest medicine · Mar 2007
ReviewCombination therapy and new types of agents for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
This review assesses the available evidence supporting the use of drug combinations for the management of the various forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Ongoing and forthcoming randomized trials evaluating this strategy are also highlighted. Furthermore, new types of agents to treat PAH in the future are explored.
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Clinics in chest medicine · Dec 2006
ReviewQuality of life, emotional abnormalities, and cognitive dysfunction in survivors of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome.
This article provides a brief discussion of the recent literature linking quality-of-life impairment to physical dysfunction after acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome. Its main focus is a review of the current knowledge concerning cognitive and emotional outcomes after lung injury and their impact on long-term quality of life.