Ambient Air Pollution and Dysanapsis: Associations with Lung Function and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease Study.

Outdoor air pollution is a potential risk factor for lower lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Little is known about how airway abnormalities and lung growth might modify this relationship. To evaluate the associations of ambient air pollution exposure with lung function and COPD and examine possible interactions with dysanapsis.

Dyspnoea and symptom burden in mild-moderate COPD: the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease Study.

Studies assessing dyspnoea and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have focussed on patients in clinical settings, not the general population. The aim of this analysis was to compare the prevalence and severity of dyspnoea and impaired HRQoL in individuals with and without COPD from the general population, focussing on mild-moderate COPD. Analysis of the 3-year Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) study included four subgroups: mild COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 1); moderate COPD (GOLD 2); non-COPD smokers; and non-COPD never-smokers.

High eosinophil counts predict decline in FEV: results from the CanCOLD study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine the association between blood eosinophil levels and the decline in lung function in individuals aged >40 years from the general population.

Methods: The study evaluated the eosinophil counts from thawed blood in 1120 participants (mean age 65 years) from the prospective population-based Canadian Cohort of Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) study. Participants answered interviewer-administered respiratory questionnaires and performed pre-/post-bronchodilator spirometric tests at 18-month intervals; computed tomography (CT) imaging was performed at baseline.

The Burden of Illness Related to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations in Québec, Canada.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence in Canada has risen over time. COPD-related exacerbations contribute to the increased health care utilization (HCU) in this population. This study investigated the impact of exacerbations on COPD-related HCU.

Noncommunicable Lung Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Community-based Cross-Sectional Study of Adults in Urban Malawi.

Rationale: Noncommunicable diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). Valid burden of disease estimates are lacking for noncommunicable lung disease in sSA.

Objectives: We performed a community-based survey to determine the prevalence of chronic lung disease among adults 18 years or older in Malawi, using American Thoracic Society standard spirometry, internationally validated respiratory symptom and exposure questionnaires, and an assessment of HIV status.

A cross-sectional study of household biomass fuel use among a periurban population in Malawi.

Rationale: The Global Burden of Disease Study suggests almost 3.5 million people die as a consequence of household air pollution every year. Respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia in children are strongly associated with exposure to household air pollution.

Increased risk of exacerbation and hospitalization in subjects with an overlap phenotype: COPD-asthma.

Background: Several COPD phenotypes have been described; the COPD-asthma overlap is one of the most recognized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of three subgroups (asthma, COPD, and COPD-asthma overlap) in the Latin American Project for the Investigation of Obstructive Lung Disease (PLATINO) study population, to describe their main characteristics, and to determine the association of the COPD-asthma overlap group with exacerbations, hospitalizations, limitations due to physical health, and perception of general health status (GHS).

Methods: The PLATINO study is a multicenter population-based survey carried out in five Latin American cities.

Characteristics of a COPD population categorised using the GOLD framework by health status and exacerbations.

GOLD proposed a COPD assessment framework focussed on symptoms measured by the COPD Assessment Test™ (CAT) or the mMRC and on exacerbation risk based on poor lung function (FEV1 <50%) or a history of ≥2 exacerbations in the previous year. This analysis examined the characteristics of COPD patients recruited from routine clinical settings and classified using the GOLD framework. 1041 European COPD patients (38.

An integrated analysis of the efficacy of fluticasone furoate nasal spray versus placebo on the nasal symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis.

Intranasal corticosteroids are widely prescribed for the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). The aim of this analysis was to determine whether the beneficial effects of once-daily (q.d.

Novel study design to assess the utility of the copd assessment test in a primary care setting.

The quality of a consultation provided by a physician can have a profound impact on the quality of care and patient engagement in treatment decisions. When the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) was developed, one of its aims was to aid the communication between physician and patient about the impact of COPD. We developed a novel study design to assess this in a primary care consultation.

Utility of COPD Assessment Test (CAT) in primary care consultations: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: One of the aims of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is to aid communication between the physician and patient about the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the patient's life.

Aims: To investigate the impact of the CAT on the quality of primary care consultations in COPD patients.

Methods: Primary care physicians across Europe conducted six consultations with standardised COPD patients (played by trained actors).

Comparisons of health status scores with MRC grades in COPD: implications for the GOLD 2011 classification.

The 2011 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy document recommends assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using symptoms and future exacerbation risk, employing two score cut-points: COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score ≥ 10 or modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale (mMRC) grade ≥ 2. To explore the equivalence of these two symptom cut-points, the relationship between the CAT and the mMRC and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the Short-form Health Survey and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue scores were retrospectively analysed using a primary care dataset. Data from 1817 patients (mean ± SD forced expiratory volume in 1 s 1.

Primary care physician perceptions on the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in diverse regions of the world.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multicomponent disorder that leads to substantial disability, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality. Although the majority of COPD patients are first diagnosed and treated in primary care practices, there is comparatively little information on the management of COPD patients in primary care. A web-based pilot survey was conducted to evaluate the primary care physician's, or general practitioner's (GP's), knowledge, understanding, and management of COPD in twelve territories across the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, eastern Europe, and Latin America, using a 10-minute questionnaire comprising 20 questions and translated into the native language of each participating territory.