Comprehensive Lung Function Assessment Does not Allow to Infer Response to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with COPD.

The degree of lung function is frequently used as referral criterion for pulmonary rehabilitation. The efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation was assessed in 518 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, after clustering based on a comprehensive pre-rehabilitation lung function assessment. Mean improvements in dyspnea, exercise performance, health status, mood status and problematic activities of daily life after pulmonary rehabilitation were mostly comparable between the seven clusters, despite significant differences in the degree of lung function.

Patients' perspective on pulmonary rehabilitation: experiences of European and American individuals with chronic respiratory diseases.

http://ow.ly/2HER30mxLLj.

Impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on activities of daily living in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A high proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience problems during the performance of activities of daily living (ADLs). We aimed to determine the effects of a comprehensive 8-wk pulmonary rehabilitation program on the physiologic response to and performance of ADLs in patients with COPD. Before and after pulmonary rehabilitation, 31 patients with COPD [71% men; mean age: 64.

Fatigue is Highly Prevalent in Patients with Asthma and Contributes to the Burden of Disease.

The 2018 update of the Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention does not mention fatigue-related symptoms. Nevertheless, patients with asthma frequently report tiredness, lack of energy, and daytime sleepiness. Quantitative research regarding the prevalence of fatigue in asthmatic patients is lacking.

Speech Impairment in Boys With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a highly prevalent spectrum of patterns of congenital defects resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Approximately 90% of the cases involve speech impairment. Yet, to date, no detailed symptom profiles nor dedicated treatment plans are available for this population.

Contribution of individual COPD assessment test (CAT) items to CAT total score and effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on CAT scores.

Background: The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) contains eight items (cough, phlegm, chest tightness, breathlessness, limited activities, confidence leaving home, sleeplessness and energy). The current study aimed 1) to better understand the impact of the respiratory and non-respiratory CAT item scores on the CAT total score; and 2) to determine the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on CAT items and CAT total score.

Methods: CAT total score of ≥10 or ≥ 18 points was used to classify patients as highly symptomatic, a decrease of 2 points was considered as clinically relevant improvement.

Incorporating telemedicine into the integrated care of the COPD patient a summary of an interdisciplinary workshop held in Stresa, Italy, 7-8 September 2017.

This report is a summary of a workshop focusing on using telemedicine to facilitate the integrated care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Twenty-five invited participants from 8 countries met for one and one-half days in Stresa, Italy on 7-8 September 2017, to discuss this topic. Participants included physiotherapists, nurses, a nurse practitioner, and physicians.

Can patient-reported profiles avoid unnecessary referral to a spine surgeon? An observational study to further develop the Nijmegen Decision Tool for Chronic Low Back Pain.

Introduction: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is a heterogeneous condition with lack of diagnostic clarity. Therapeutic interventions show small effects. To improve outcomes by targeting interventions it is recommended to develop a triage system to surgical and non-surgical treatments based on treatment outcomes.

The respiratory physiome: Clustering based on a comprehensive lung function assessment in patients with COPD.

Background: While spirometry and particularly airflow limitation is still considered as an important tool in therapeutic decision making, it poorly reflects the heterogeneity of respiratory impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aims of this study were to identify pathophysiological clusters in COPD based on an integrated set of standard lung function attributes and to investigate whether these clusters can predict patient-related outcomes and differ in clinical characteristics.

Methods: Clinically stable COPD patients referred for pulmonary rehabilitation underwent an integrated assessment including clinical characteristics, dyspnea score, exercise performance, mood and health status, and lung function measurements (post-bronchodilator spirometry, body plethysmography, diffusing capacity, mouth pressures and arterial blood gases).

Peripheral endothelial function is positively associated with maximal aerobic capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Patients with COPD are frequently diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Peripheral endothelial dysfunction is an underlying mechanism and can be used as an early marker of cardiovascular impairment. To date, little is known on the association between peripheral endothelial dysfunction, cardiovascular risk factors and measurements of exercise capacity in patients with COPD.

Identifying causes of perceptual differences in problematic activities of daily life between patients with COPD and proxies: A qualitative study.

Background/aim: Proxies of patients with COPD are often unable to identify the patients' most important problematic activities of daily life (ADLs). The aim was to explore causes of perceptual differences between patients with COPD and their proxies about the problematic ADLs of the patient.

Methods: Ten open structured interviews were conducted in the presence of both the patient and proxy.

The physical, mental, and social impact of COPD in a population-based sample: results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with substantial health impact that may already become apparent in early disease. This study aims to examine the features of subjects with COPD in a Dutch population-based sample and compare their physical status, mental status, and social status to non-COPD subjects. This study made use of Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) data.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Stimulate the Proliferation and IL-22 Production of Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells.

Infusion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a promising and increasingly applied therapy for patients who suffer from a variety of inflammatory diseases, including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a common and life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The therapeutic effect of MSCs is mainly ascribed to their ability to suppress T cells and to support tissue repair. However, clinical response rates in patients with GvHD are limited to 50%, and the determinants for MSC responsiveness are unknown.

Effectiveness of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease With Different Degrees of Static Lung Hyperinflation.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on exercise performance and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with different degrees of static lung hyperinflation (LH).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: PR network.

Looking into the eye of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an opportunity for better microvascular profiling of these complex patients.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease with many patients suffering from cardiovascular comorbidity. However, cardiovascular diseases remain often undiagnosed in COPD. Assessment of the retinal microvasculature can provide value in cardiovascular profiling of these patients.

Exercise Prescription in Patients with Different Combinations of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Consensus Statement from the EXPERT Working Group.

Whereas exercise training is key in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk (obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension), clinicians experience difficulties in how to optimally prescribe exercise in patients with different CVD risk factors. Therefore, a consensus statement for state-of-the-art exercise prescription in patients with combinations of CVD risk factors as integrated into a digital training and decision support system (the EXercise Prescription in Everyday practice & Rehabilitative Training (EXPERT) tool) needed to be established. EXPERT working group members systematically reviewed the literature for meta-analyses, systematic reviews and/or clinical studies addressing exercise prescriptions in specific CVD risk factors and formulated exercise recommendations (exercise training intensity, frequency, volume and type, session and programme duration) and exercise safety precautions, for obesity, arterial hypertension, type 1 and 2 diabetes, and dyslipidaemia.

Determinants of functional, peak and endurance exercise capacity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Exercise limitation in COPD is multi-factorial. The contribution of cardiac function to exercise capacity is not clear.

Methods: Potential determinants of the different constructs of exercise capacity (functional, peak and endurance exercise capacity using the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), peak oxygen uptake (VOpeak) and peak work load, and sub-maximal constant work rate test (CWRT) cycle time, respectively) were analysed.

The SNPcurator: literature mining of enriched SNP-disease associations.

http://snpcurator.science.uu.

Fatigue in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: protocol of the Dutch multicentre, longitudinal, observational study.

Introduction: Fatigue is the second most common symptom in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite its high prevalence, fatigue is often ignored in daily practice. For this reason, little is known about the underlying determinants of fatigue in patients with COPD.

Validation of 4-meter-gait-speed test and 5-repetitions-sit-to-stand test in patients with pulmonary fibrosis: a clinimetric validation study.

Patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) have a clear exercise intolerance. The 4-meter-gait-speed (4MGS) test and the 5-repetitions-sit-to-stand (5STS) test are easy, inexpensive and reliable measures of functional performance. Both tests have been validated in healthy adults and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Spatiotemporal gait characteristics in patients with COPD during the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab-based 6-minute walk test.

Background And Aim: Overground gait assessment is limited by the analysis of multiple strides or both spatiotemporal gait characteristics, while fixed speed treadmill walking restricts natural gait speed variations. The Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL)-based 6-minute walk test (6MWT) enables 3D motion analysis and self-paced treadmill walking, and could provide insight in gait alterations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study is to compare spatiotemporal gait characteristics between patients with COPD and healthy elderly during the GRAIL-based 6MWT.

Oxygen saturation measurements in telemonitoring of patients with COPD: a systematic review.

Telemonitoring applications are expected to become a key component in future healthcare. Despite the frequent use of SpO measurements in telemonitoring of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), no profound overview is available about these measurements. Areas covered: A systematic search identified 71 articles that performed SpO measurements in COPD telemonitoring.

Palliative care needs assessment in chronic heart failure.

Purpose Of Review: The unmet palliative care needs of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) are well known. Palliative care needs assessment is paramount for timely provision of palliative care. The present review provides an overview of palliative care needs assessment in patients with CHF: the role of prognostic tools, the role of the surprise question, and the role of palliative care needs assessment tools.