Comparative Analysis of Persistence to Treatment among Patients with Asthma or COPD Receiving AirFluSal Forspiro or Seretide Diskus Salmeterol/Fluticasone Propionate Combination Therapy.

Background: Low adherence and persistence to inhaled therapy result in poor outcomes in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although adherence has been widely studied, growing awareness of the large number of patients who abandon their asthma treatment suggests that persistence to treatment may be more relevant for longer term outcomes.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare persistence to salmeterol/fluticasone propionate combination treatment as AirFluSal Forspiro with persistence to Seretide Diskus in patients with asthma or COPD aged 12 years and above.

COPD screening in primary care in four Latin American countries: methodology of the PUMA Study.

Introduction: The prevalence of COPD among patients treated in the healthcare system in Latin America is unknown. The PUMA study (Prevalencia y práctica habitUal -diagnóstico y tratamiento- en población de riesgo de EPOC en Médicos generalistas de 4 países de América Latina) screened at-risk patients attending primary care centers to evaluate the prevalence, diagnosis and treatment of COPD in this setting. The aim of this report is to describe the study methodology.

Rationale and methods of the European Study on Cardiovascular Risk Prevention and Management in Daily Practice (EURIKA).

Background: The EURIKA study aims to assess the status of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) across Europe. Specifically, it will determine the degree of control of cardiovascular risk factors in current clinical practice in relation to the European guidelines on cardiovascular prevention. It will also assess physicians' knowledge and attitudes about CVD prevention as well as the barriers impeding effective risk factor management in clinical practice.