Current opinion in pulmonary medicine
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This review examines the current reports, the evidence and the issues surrounding the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in both the acute and domiciliary setting. ⋯ NIV is the established standard of care to treat acute hypercapnic exacerbations of COPD postoptimal medical management. NIV as a long-term treatment for COPD remains controversial based on the evidence from the published randomized controlled trials. With increasing experience of NIV therapy, patient outcomes are improving; however, further work is still required to better characterize and target the patients who will most benefit from NIV.
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Recent therapies directed at proximal targets within cystic fibrosis (CF) pathophysiology hold potential to modulate disease. This review highlights recent clinical trials and future therapies focused on these early steps of disease. ⋯ The breadth of therapies for early targets of CF holds considerable hope to modify the natural history of this disease. Ongoing focus to develop novel markers of early disease state is paramount. The progress of drug development requires concurrent attention on a spectrum of targets to achieve maximal impact.
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Review
Nontuberculous mycobacteria: the changing epidemiology and treatment challenges in cystic fibrosis.
Although patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) face numerous infectious pathogens over the course of their lifespan, increasing attention has recently been paid to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). As reported prevalence rates rise across many countries such as the United States, the ability to recognize disease caused by NTM and subsequently treat such disease has become increasingly important. This review summarizes new observations on the epidemiology of NTM in CF as well as key elements to consider during the treatment phase. ⋯ Given increasing prevalence rates, clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion for NTM as disease-causing organisms in CF, particularly for M. abscessus. New knowledge regarding this species, however, can help to tailor appropriate therapy.
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The relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and dysglycaemia is well established. However, uncertainty remains as to the extent that obesity mediates this relationship. The impact of OSA treatment on glucose metabolism and the consequences of having OSA in patients with diabetes is unclear. This review aims to summarize the latest evidence regarding the links between OSA and dysglycaemia. ⋯ OSA is associated with insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction independent of obesity. OSA is associated with HbA1c and vascular complications in patients with T2D. CPAP might improve insulin resistance and glycaemic measures. Lifestyle intervention has a significant impact on AHI in patients with T2D.
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, invariably fatal condition with a median survival from diagnosis of only 3 years. Despite improvements in disease understanding, challenges remain in establishing a diagnosis and predicting prognosis in individual patients. Furthermore, limited understanding of the key pathogenetic mechanisms driving disease is hampering development of new therapies. This review outlines progress that has been made in applying systems biology to IPF and the insights into disease pathogenesis, diagnosis and monitoring that this research is providing. ⋯ Use of molecular research techniques in large populations of well-phenotyped patients is leading to major advances in understanding of IPF. As new treatments for IPF emerge, it is to be hoped that careful application of these findings will enable the targeting of therapy to individuals based on the predominant mechanisms driving progression of their disease.