Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Nov 2018
Airflow limitation classified with the fixed ratio or the lower limit of normal and cause-specific mortality - A prospective study.
There is controversy as to whether airflow limitation should be defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/vital capacity (VC) < 0.7 or as FEV1/VC< the lower limit of normal (LLN). The aim was to examine whether different definitions of airflow limitation differ in predicting mortality. ⋯ Defined either as FEV1/VC < 0.7 or as FEV1/VC < LLN, airflow limitation predicted excess mortality risk of similar magnitude. Mortality in relation to airflow limitation was higher among women compared to men.
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Respiratory medicine · Nov 2018
Trends in moderate and severe exacerbations among COPD patients in the UK from 2005 to 2013.
Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are characterised by increased symptoms such as dyspnoea, cough and sputum production and/or purulence, leading to greater risk of hospitalisation and mortality. Very few studies have measured long term trends in the incidence of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We therefore investigated the incidence of moderate and severe exacerbations in the UK general population. ⋯ This is the first study that reports the long-term changes in the incidence rates of moderate and severe exacerbations within the UK general practice. Women showed a substantially higher risk of any COPD exacerbations, and their risk is increasing. The incidence rates of any exacerbations increased during the study period, while severe exacerbations were variable. Furthermore, incidence rates varied substantially by age group.