Could a behaviour change intervention be used to address under-recognition of work-related asthma in primary care? A systematic review.

Background: Work-related asthma (WRA) is prevalent yet under-recognized in UK primary care.

Aim: We aimed to identify behaviour change interventions (BCI) intended for use in primary care to identify WRA, or any other chronic disease (that could be adapted for use in WRA).

Design & Setting: Systematic review METHOD: We searched CCRCT, Embase, PsychINFO and Ovid-MEDLINE databases (1946-2023) for studies describing development and/or evaluation of BCIs for case finding any chronic disease in primary care settings, aimed at either healthcare professionals and/or patients.

Symptoms of COPD in the absence of airflow obstruction are more indicative of pre-COPD than overdiagnosis.

Background: Dysfunction of the small airways is a precursor of COPD but is not detectable on standard spirometric testing until significant destruction has occurred. A proportion of COPD patients have a forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV)/forced vital capacity (FVC) <0.7 which is greater than the lower limit of normal (LLN), when adjusted for their age and sex.

Impact of environmental air pollution on respiratory health and function.

Environmental air pollution presents a considerable risk to global respiratory health. If critical levels are exceeded, inhaled pollutants can lead to the development of respiratory dysfunction and provoke exacerbation in those with pre-existing chronic respiratory disease. Over 90% of the global population currently reside in areas where environmental air pollution is considered excessive-with adverse effects ranging from acute airway irritation to complex immunomodulatory alterations.

Difficult-to-treat asthma patients from ethnic minority groups in central England are at an enhanced risk of house dust mite sensitisation.

Background: House dust mite (HDM) is the most common sensitising allergen in asthma. Ethnic minority groups (EMGs) in the UK are more likely to live in deprived conditionings with a greater exposure to HDM and other aero-allergens.

Aim: To compare the ethnicity-based patterns of sensitisation to aero-allergens and the impact of ethnicity on clinical outcomes in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma (DTA).

ARTP statement on cardiopulmonary exercise testing 2021.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has become an invaluable tool in healthcare, improving the diagnosis of disease and the quality, efficacy, assessment and safety of treatment across a range of pathologies. CPET's superior ability to measure the global exercise response of the respiratory, cardiovascular and skeletal muscle systems simultaneously in a time and cost-efficient manner has led to the application of CPET in a range of settings from diagnosis of disease to preoperative assessment. The Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology Statement on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing 2021 provides the practitioner and scientist with an outstanding resource to support and enhance practice, from equipment to testing to leadership, helping them deliver a quality assured service for the benefit of all patient groups.