American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Mar 2016
The Presence of Chronic Mucus Hypersecretion Across Adult Life in Relation to COPD Development.
Chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH) is common among smokers and is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease development and progression. ⋯ CMH among middle-aged smokers represents an early developmental phase of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking-related CMH usually resolves following smoking cessation but the longer its duration the greater the FEV1 lost, suggesting the course of CMH across adult life may reflect the underlying course of airway disease activity.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Mar 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialVitamin D Supplementation and the Risk of Colds in Patients with Asthma.
Restoration of vitamin D sufficiency may reduce asthma exacerbations, events that are often associated with respiratory tract infections and cold symptoms. ⋯ Our findings in patients with mild to moderate asthma undergoing an inhaled corticosteroid dose reduction do not support the use of vitamin D supplementation for the purpose of reducing cold severity or frequency.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Mar 2016
Quantitative Dual Energy Computed Tomography Supports a Vascular Etiology of Smoking Induced Inflammatory Lung Disease.
Endothelial dysfunction is of interest in relation to smoking-associated emphysema, a component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We previously demonstrated that computed tomography (CT)-derived pulmonary blood flow (PBF) heterogeneity is greater in smokers with normal pulmonary function tests (PFTs) but who have visual evidence of centriacinar emphysema (CAE) on CT. ⋯ These results demonstrate that sildenafil restores peripheral perfusion and reduces central arterial enlargement in normal SS subjects with little effect in NS subjects, highlighting DECT-PBV as a biomarker of reversible endothelial dysfunction in smokers with CAE.