PRevalence of the Eosinophilic Phenotype Among SeveRE asthma patients in Lebanon: results of the PREPARE study.

Background: The prevalence of eosinophilic asthma in Lebanon, one of the most severe phenotypes among severe asthma, is not known. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of the eosinophilic phenotype defined as an eosinophil count ≥ 300 cells/mm among severe asthma patients in Lebanon.

Methods: The Lebanese Chapter of the PREPARE study was a national, multicenter, cross-sectional observational study.

Diagnosis and management of patients with stage III non‑small cell lung cancer: A joint statement by the Lebanese Society of Medical Oncology and the Lebanese Pulmonary Society (Review).

Proper management of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) might result in a cure or patient long-term survival. Management should therefore be preceded by adequate and accurate diagnosis and staging, which will inform therapeutic decisions. A panel of oncologists, surgeons and pulmonologists in Lebanon convened to establish a set of recommendations to guide and unify clinical practice, in alignment with international standards of care.

The Preschool Asthma Risk Factors Scale: A predictive tool for asthma and respiratory symptoms among preschool children in Lebanon.

Background: The Preschool Asthma Risk Factor Scale (PS-ARFS) is a tool that enables clinicians to assess environmental exposure of preschool children, history of parental asthma, and dietary habits. The objective of this study was to evaluate the PS-ARFS ability to predict asthma diagnosis and respiratory symptoms 1 year after baseline assessment and improve the scale if necessary.

Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted between November 2018 and March 2019 in three Lebanese schools (from three different Lebanese Governorates) enrolled 515 preschool children aged 3-5 years.

rs6837671A>G in Is a Trans-Ethnic Genetic Variant Interacting with Vitamin D Levels to Affect Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

(1) Background and objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality throughout the world. In addition to genetics, increasing evidence suggests that Vitamin D (VitD) might be involved in different pathogenic mechanisms in COPD. Furthermore, the prevalence of VitD insufficiency is exceptionally high in COPD patients and increases with the severity.

Hygiene hypothesis: association between hygiene and asthma among preschool children in Lebanon.

Objectives: To validate a scale to assess the hygiene hypothesis and the association between hygiene and asthma among Lebanese preschool children aged 3-5 years.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between November 2018 and March 2019, enrolled 515 preschool children. Asthma and potential risk factors, including hygiene, were assessed using a standardized questionnaire.

Prevalence of asthma, its correlates, and validation of the Pre-School Asthma Risk Factors Scale (PS-ARFS) among preschool children in Lebanon.

Objectives: The Asthma Risk Factor Scale (ARFS) is used to screen for asthma in Lebanese preschool children (aged 3-16 years). The study objective was to describe factors associated with asthma, confirm ARFS score validity among Lebanese preschool children, and develop a risk score for asthma diagnosis in this age group (Pre-School Asthma Risk Factor Scale [PS-ARFS]).

Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 515 preschool children (November 2018 and March 2019).

Comparing the efficacy and safety of formoterol/budesonide pMDI versus its mono-components and other LABA/ICS in patients with asthma.

Introduction: Pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are effective drug delivery devices prescribed in obstructive airway diseases due to their convenience, portability, ease of enabling multiple doses in a single formulation, and storage in any orientation. For the management of asthma, the fixed-dose combination of a long-acting β-agonist (LABA) and an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) has been recommended by Global Initiative for Asthma guideline as a preferred treatment option for patients who are uncontrolled with only ICS doses. One of the available LABA/ICS combinations is the formoterol/budesonide (FB).

The impact of textual and pictorial warnings on tumbac (waterpipe tobacco) boxes on the motivation and intention to quit waterpipe smoking in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study.

Few published studies have examined the impact of waterpipe tobacco pictorial health warnings worldwide but none of these papers assessed the motivation and intention to quit among Lebanese waterpipe smokers. To examine factors associated with the motivation and intention to quit waterpipe smoking (WS) in Lebanon, particularly the impact of textual vs. pictorial warnings on tumbac boxes.

Validation of the St George's respiratory questionnaire and risks factors affecting the quality of life of Lebanese COPD and asthma patients.

: We aimed to validate the Arabic version of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) for use in Lebanese Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma patients and to identify risk factors that might affect the quality of life in these patients. : COPD ( = 90) and asthma patients ( = 124) were recruited from the outpatient clinics of the Pulmonology department of a university hospital and a medical center in Beirut. They filled out a standardized questionnaire.

Development of an asthma risk factors scale (ARFS) for risk assessment asthma screening in children.

Background: The study objective was to create asthma risk factors scale (ARFS) score that would be correlated with the increased risk of asthma in Lebanese children. This scale would eventually be used both to identify children at risk and assess early diagnosis of asthma.

Methods: A case-control study (study 1) of 1276 children (976 controls and 300 cases) and a cross-sectional study (study 2) of 1000 children were conducted using a parental questionnaire.

Validation of the mini pediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire and identification of risk factors affecting quality of life among Lebanese children.

Background: Few studies used various scales to assess the QOL in Lebanon in general but none was specific to asthma. Our objective was to assess the asthma-related quality of life, using the mini Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ), in Lebanese asthmatic children, check its validity compared to the original version, and identify clinical and sociodemographic risk factors that might affect these children's QOL.

Methods: This retrospective study included 300 children aged between 7-16 years (51.

Association between Caregiver Exposure to Toxics during Pregnancy and Childhood-onset Asthma: A Case-control Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between caregiver-reported use of medications, alcohol, cigarette and/or waterpipe (WP), and exposure to pesticides/detergents during pregnancy with childhood-onset asthma. The study design consisted of a case-control study, conducted between December 2015 and April 2016, recruited 1503 children, aged between 3-16 years old. A questionnaire assessed the sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, education level of both parents), the family history of asthma, and other known risk factors of asthma (heating system at home, child history of recurrent otitis, humidity in the house, child went to a daycare, smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, exposure to pesticides and detergents).

Surfactant protein D multimerization and gene polymorphism in COPD and asthma.

Background And Objective: A structural single nucleotide polymorphism rs721917 in the surfactant protein D (SP-D) gene, known as Met11Thr, was reported to influence the circulating levels and degree of multimerization of SP-D and was associated with both COPD and atopy in asthma. Moreover, disease-related processes are known to degrade multimerized SP-D, however, the degree of the protein degradation in these diseases is not clarified. We aimed to determine the distribution of multimerized (high molecular weight (HMW)) and non-multimerized (low molecular weight (LMW)) species of serum SP-D and their correlation with genetic polymorphisms and presence of disease in Lebanese COPD and asthmatic patients.

Predictors of Readiness to Quit Stages and Intention to Quit Cigarette Smoking in 2 and 6 Months in Lebanon.

Background: We aimed at examining quitting behaviors among Lebanese cigarette smokers in order to clarify characteristics of adults who were more likely to intend to quit smoking.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: This study was conducted between March 2014 and March 2015, involving 382 patients randomly chosen from 5 outpatient clinics in 5 hospitals in Lebanon.

Motivation to quit smoking and acceptability of shocking warnings on cigarette packages in Lebanon.

Introduction: Health warnings on tobacco packages have been considered an essential pillar in filling the gap of knowledge and communicating the health risks of tobacco use to consumers. Our primary objective was to report the perception of smokers on the textual health warnings already appearing on tobacco packages in Lebanon versus shocking pictures about the health-related smoking consequences and to evaluate their impact on smoking behaviors and motivation.

Methods: A pilot cross-sectional study was undertaken between 2013 and 2015 in five hospitals in Lebanon.

Validation of asthma control questionnaire and risk factors affecting uncontrolled asthma among the Lebanese children's population.

Objectives: To validate the Arabic version of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) in asthmatic children in Lebanon and identify risk factors that might affect asthma control in these children.

Methods: This study, conducted between December 2015 and April 2016, included 300 children.

Results: A high Cronbach's alpha was found for the full scale (0.

Surfactant protein D, a clinical biomarker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with excellent discriminant values.

Biological markers can help to better identify a disease or refine its diagnosis. In the present study, the association between surfactant protein D (SP-D) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was studied among subjects consulting for respiratory diseases or symptoms and was compared with C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen. A further aim of this study was to identify the optimal cut-off point of SP-D able to discriminate COPD patients.

Maternal waterpipe smoke exposure and the risk of asthma and allergic diseases in childhood: A post hoc analysis.

Introduction: This analysis was conducted with the objective of evaluating association between waterpipe passive smoking exposure and asthma, and allergies among Lebanese children.

Material And Methods: Data were taken from a crosssectional study on children from public and private schools. A sample of 22 schools participated in the study, where standardized written core questionnaires were distributed.

Community- and healthcare-associated infections in critically ill patients: a multicenter cohort study.

Objective: To compare the spectrum of infection, comorbidities, outcomes, and mortality of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to community-acquired or healthcare-associated severe sepsis.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in three university medical centers in Lebanon from February 2005 to December 2006. Patients with severe sepsis were included and followed up until hospital discharge or death.

Hyperreactive airway disease in adults: data from a national study in Lebanon.

Background: Asthma and hyperreactive airway (HRA) disease are a major cause of health resource utilization and poor quality of life worldwide; its prevalence in adults may widely vary according to the definition used. It is mainly a childhood disease, but its natural history till adulthood is not well known. This is due to other confounding factors such as smoking and environmental factors that may lead to misdiagnose asthma as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Waterpipe effects on pulmonary function and cardiovascular indices: a comparison to cigarette smoking in real life situation.

Introduction: Smoking is known to have physiological effects on biological systems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate acute and chronic effects on pulmonary functions and cardiovascular indices of waterpipe (WP) smoking in real life circumstances.

Methods: Three groups were included in the study: non-smokers (N = 42), WP smokers (N = 42) and cigarette smokers (N = 48).

Lung cancer correlates in Lebanese adults: a pilot case--control study.

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancers. However, there are no epidemiological studies concerning lung cancer and its risk factors in Lebanon. This study was carried out to determine the association between lung cancer and its most common risk factors in a sample of the Lebanese population.

The Young Adults' Cigarette Dependence (YACD) score: an improved tool for cigarette dependence assessment in university students.

Background: Cigarette smoking induces dependence in young smokers.

Purpose: The primary objective of this work was to validate the use of the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) in young Lebanese university students, and to improve it eventually by adding new items covering DSM-IV and ICD-10 dependence components.

Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional study on university students.

Cigarette smokers' profile in Lebanese adults.

Background: The objective of this study was to describe cigarette smoking prevalence among adults in Lebanon and to evaluate the profile of light cigarette smokers compared to never and heavy smokers.

Methods: Data were taken from a cross-sectional study carried out from October 2009 to September 2010, using a multistage cluster sampling all over Lebanon. Lebanese residents aged 40 years and above were enrolled in the study with no exclusion criteria.