American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2024
Normal Lung Function and Mortality in World Trade Center Responders and NHANES III Participants.
Rationale: Low FEV1 is a biomarker of increased mortality. The association of normal lung function and mortality is not well described. Objectives: To evaluate the FEV1-mortality association among participants with normal lung function. ⋯ Each 10% higher predicted FEV1 was associated with 15% (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.91) and 23% (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.84) lower mortality for FDNY and NHANES III, respectively. Conclusions: In both cohorts, higher FEV1 is associated with lower mortality, suggesting higher FEV1 is a biomarker of better health. These findings demonstrate that a single cross-sectional measurement of FEV1 is predictive of mortality over two decades, even when FEV1 is in the normal range.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2024
Structural Predictors of Lung Function Decline in Young Smokers with Normal Spirometry.
Rationale: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to tobacco smoking commonly presents when extensive lung damage has occurred. Objectives: We hypothesized that structural change would be detected early in the natural history of COPD and would relate to loss of lung function with time. Methods: We recruited 431 current smokers (median age, 39 yr; 16 pack-years smoked) and recorded symptoms using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), spirometry, and quantitative thoracic computed tomography (QCT) scans at study entry. ⋯ Conclusions: Radiological abnormalities on CT are already established in young smokers with normal lung function and are associated with FEV1 loss independently of the impact of symptoms. Structural abnormalities are present early in the natural history of COPD and are markers of disease progression. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03480347).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2024
Editorial Comment LetterRacial Physiology: A Dangerous Precedent.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2024
Pulmonary Hypertension and Anastrozole (PHANTOM): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Inhibition of aromatase with anastrozole reduces pulmonary hypertension in experimental models. ⋯ gov, ID: NCT03229499.