Sex-Specific Genetic Determinants of Asthma-COPD Phenotype and COPD in Middle-Aged and Older Canadian Adults: An Analysis of CLSA Data.

The etiology of sex differences in the risk of asthma-COPD phenotype and COPD is still not completely understood. Genetic and environmental risk factors are commonly believed to play an important role. This study aims to identify sex-specific genetic markers associated with asthma-COPD phenotype and COPD using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Baseline Comprehensive and Genomic data.

Identification of Sex-Specific Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Asthma in Middle-Aged and Older Canadian Adults: An Analysis of CLSA Data.

Purpose: Asthma is a chronic heterogeneous respiratory disease resulting from a complex interplay between genetic variations and environmental exposures. There are sex disparities in the prevalence and severity of asthma in males and females. Asthma prevalence is higher in males during childhood but increases in females in adulthood.

Risk of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for pneumonia associated with inhaled β2-agonists in patients with asthma, COPD or asthma-COPD overlap.

β2-agonists provide necessary bronchodilatory action, are recommended by existing clinical practice guidelines and are widely prescribed for patients with these conditions. We examined the risk of all-cause mortality and hospitalization for pneumonia associated with long-or short-acting β2-agonists (LABA or SABA) or ICS (inhaled corticosteroids)/LABA use. In a nested case-control of 185,407 patients, we found no association between β2-agonist use and the risk of pneumonia in patients with asthma, COPD, or asthma-COPD overlap.

Association Between Medication Adherence and Risk of COPD in Adult Asthma Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Canada.

Background: Poor adherence to prescribed asthma medications and risk of severe asthma exacerbations have been well established. However, the effects of changes in asthma medication compliance levels and subsequent risk of COPD is unknown and yet to be investigated. This study investigated the independent effect of medication adherence (MA) and asthma severity levels on the risk of COPD.

Examining Risk Factors Accelerating Time-to-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Diagnosis among Asthma Patients.

Asthma patients may have an increased risk for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, risk factors accelerating time-to-COPD diagnosis are unclear. This study aims to estimate risk factors associated with the incidence of COPD diagnosis in asthma patients.

Determining the optimal threshold for medication adherence in adult asthma patients: an analysis of British Columbia administrative health database in Canada.

Objective: This study investigated the association between varying cutoffs for Medication Adherence (MA) among physician-diagnosed asthma patients and subsequent association with asthma exacerbation.

Methods: We linked four administrative health databases obtained from the Population Data in British Columbia. Index cases were physician-diagnosed asthma patients between January 1, 1998, to December 31, 1999, aged 18 years and older.

Measuring Medication Adherence in a Population-Based Asthma Administrative Pharmacy Database: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Limited studies have systematically reviewed the literature to identify and compare the various database methods and optimal thresholds for measuring medication adherence specific to adolescents and adults with asthma. In the present study, we aim to identify the methods and optimal thresholds for measuring medication adherence in population-based pharmacy databases.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), Web of Science, Google Scholar, and grey literature from January 1, 1998, to March 16, 2021.

Current Knowledge of Asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO) Genetic Risk Factors, Characteristics, and Prognosis.

Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is a newly identified phenotype of chronic obstructive airway diseases with shared asthma and COPD features. Patients with ACO are poorly defined, and some evidence suggests that they have worse health outcomes and greater disease burden than patients with COPD or asthma. Generally, there is no evidence-based and universal definition for ACO; several consensus documents have provided various descriptions of the phenotype.

Gender Differences in Inhaled Pharmacotherapy Utilization in Patients with Obstructive Airway Diseases (OADs): A Population-Based Study.

Purpose: Gender differences in the incidence, susceptibility and severity of many obstructive airway diseases (OADs) have been well recognized. However, gender differences in the inhaled pharmacotherapy profile are not well characterized.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate gender differences in new-users of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), short-or long-acting beta-agonist (SABA or LABA), ICS/LABA, short-or long-acting muscarinic antagonist (SAMA or LAMA) among patients with asthma, COPD or asthma-COPD overlap (ACO).

Features of a mobile health intervention to manage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a qualitative study.

Background: The use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions has the potential to enhance chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment outcomes. Further research is needed to determine which mHealth features are required to potentially enhance COPD self-management.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the potential features of an mHealth intervention for COPD management with healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients with COPD.

Perceptions of Patients Regarding Mobile Health Interventions for the Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Using a mobile health (mHealth) intervention consisting of a smartphone and compatible medical device has the potential to enhance chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment outcomes while mitigating health care costs.

Objective: This study aims to describe the demographics, use, and access to smartphones of patients with COPD. It also aims to explore and develop an understanding of potential facilitators and barriers that might influence patients using mHealth interventions for COPD management.

Comparative safety and effectiveness of inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids for treating asthma-COPD overlap: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine the safety and effectiveness of current pharmacotherapies consisting of long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) and/or inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with asthma-COPD overlap.

Data Sources: A systematic search was conducted using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases up to June 2018.

Study Selections: Only studies comparing the safety and effectiveness of LABA and/or ICS in patients with asthma-COPD overlap were included.

Maternal history of asthma modifies the risk of childhood persistent asthma associated with maternal age at birth: Results from a large prospective cohort in Canada.

Background: Asthma is a prevalent disease that affects many Canadians. Persistent asthma can affect quality of life, and has multiple health implications. Maternal age at birth has been associated with many adverse health outcomes in children.

Perceptions of Health Care Providers Regarding a Mobile Health Intervention to Manage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Qualitative Study.

Background: Using a mobile health (mHealth) intervention, consisting of a smartphone and compatible medical device, has the potential to enhance chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment outcomes while mitigating health care costs.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the potential facilitators and barriers among health care providers (HCPs) regarding the use of mHealth interventions for COPD management.

Methods: This was a qualitative study.

Female-specific risk factors associated with risk of ACO (asthma COPD overlap) in aboriginal people.

Sex differences in incidence, susceptibility and severity of many chronic respiratory diseases have been long recognized. Asthma-COPD Overlap (ACO) is newly recognized disease with its management guidelines reported in 2015. The objective of this analysis is to identify the female-specific risk factors associated with ACO in Aboriginal people.

Validated methods to identify patients with asthma-COPD overlap in healthcare databases: a systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) is characterised by patients presenting symptoms of both asthma and COPD. Many efforts have been made to validate different methods of identifying asthma-COPD overlap cases based on symptoms, spirometry and medical history in epidemiological studies using healthcare databases. There are various coding algorithm strategies that can be used and selection depends on targeted validation.

Sex-Specific Association between Childhood BMI Trajectories and Asthma Phenotypes.

Background: Asthma and obesity are two common health problems in the pediatric population. Obesity is associated with several comorbidities which are of great consequence. Excess adipose tissue has been linked to asthma in a number of studies.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of ACO (Asthma-COPD Overlap) in Aboriginal People.

Background And Objective: Aboriginal peoples are at a higher risk of many chronic respiratory diseases compared to the general Canadian population. Patients with asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), a disease newly described in 2015, are associated with frequent exacerbations, rapid decline in lung function, poor quality of life, high mortality, and disproportionate utilization of health-care resources than patients with asthma and COPD alone. The objective was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of ACO in Aboriginal peoples.

Association between early history of asthma and COPD diagnosis in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Whereas most studies have reported prior history/diagnosis of asthma as an independent risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) development in later life, no systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted to synthesize these observational studies. The aim of this review is to investigate associations between prior history of asthma and later development of COPD.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, CINAHL and EMBASE for studies related to prior history of asthma and COPD diagnosis.

Effectiveness of a pharmacist-driven intervention in COPD (EPIC): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often nonadherent with medications and have poor inhaler technique. Community pharmacists can help to improve health-related quality of life and overall outcomes in patients with COPD. We aim to measure the effectiveness of a systematic, pharmacist-driven intervention on patients with diagnosed COPD.

Volcanology. The Yellowstone magmatic system from the mantle plume to the upper crust.

The Yellowstone supervolcano is one of the largest active continental silicic volcanic fields in the world. An understanding of its properties is key to enhancing our knowledge of volcanic mechanisms and corresponding risk. Using a joint local and teleseismic earthquake P-wave seismic inversion, we revealed a basaltic lower-crustal magma body that provides a magmatic link between the Yellowstone mantle plume and the previously imaged upper-crustal magma reservoir.

Accelerated uplift and magmatic intrusion of the Yellowstone caldera, 2004 to 2006.

The Yellowstone caldera began a rapid episode of ground uplift in mid-2004, revealed by Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements, at rates up to 7 centimeters per year, which is over three times faster than previously observed inflation rates. Source modeling of the deformation data suggests an expanding volcanic sill of approximately 1200 square kilometers at a 10-kilometer depth beneath the caldera, coincident with the top of a seismically imaged crustal magma chamber. The modeled rate of source volume increase is 0.

Callous-unemotional traits in predicting the severity and stability of conduct problems and delinquency.

The current study tests whether the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits designates a group of children with conduct problems who show an especially severe and chronic pattern of conduct problems and delinquency. Ninety-eight children who were selected from a large community screening of school children in grades 3, 4, 6 and 7 were followed across four yearly assessments. Children with conduct problems who also showed CU traits exhibited the highest rates of conduct problems, self-reported delinquency, and police contacts across the four years of the study.