Nationwide indoor smoking ban and impact on smoking behaviour and lung function: a two-population natural experiment.

Introduction: Many countries have implemented indoor smoking bans over the past two decades. Although smoking bans have been shown to reduce cardiovascular outcomes, little is known about their impact on respiratory health. This study investigated the impact of a nationwide indoor smoking ban on smoking behaviour and lung function.

Health Preference Measures in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Undergoing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy: Data from a Randomized Trial.

Background: In patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), the preference-based, health-related quality of life in terms of utility has not been extensively studied.

Objective: To address this point, we compared the performance of different instruments assessing utility in patients with OSAS undergoing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

Materials And Methods: Data of 208 patients with OSAS (28 women, mean ± SE age 54.

and Exposures and Lung Function in Swiss Adults: Estimated Effects of Short-Term Exposures and Long-Term Exposures with and without Adjustment for Short-Term Deviations.

Background: The impact of nitrogen dioxide () and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 2.5. microns () exposures on lung function has been investigated mainly in children and less in adults.

Does an undetected obstructive sleep apnea influence the natural course and success of cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery?

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is common in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and can negatively impact the course of CVD. However, scarce data are available for patients before or after cardiac surgery (CS) in the context of OSA.

Aim: This study investigated the impact of an undetected OSA on the results of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients after CS.

Occupational exposure and the risk of airway obstruction and mortality.

Objectives: To identify occupational groups at high risk of airway obstruction (AO) and mortality and potential interactions with smoking.

Methods: Lung function data from the LuftiBus project were enriched with occupational and follow-up information from the Swiss National Cohort, resulting in a cohort of 10582 adults between 2000 and 2015. We assigned professions to occupational groups and estimated the risk of AO and mortality using adjusted logistic and Cox regression model.

Increase in Airway Obstruction between 1993 and 2012 in Switzerland. An Observational Study.

Most studies determining the prevalence of airway obstruction are limited to short time periods. Because temporal trends of obstruction in populations are largely unknown, we determined the prevalence of airway obstruction over 20 years in yearly general population samples in Switzerland between 1993 and 2012. We analyzed data of 85,789 participants aged 35 years and older who provided spirometric measurements as part of the LuftiBus lung function campaign.

The association between daily exacerbation symptoms and physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Evidence from longitudinal studies on the impact of exacerbation symptoms on physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lacking. The aim of this first exploratory study was to assess the association between exacerbation symptoms and physical activity, and to quantify the relative influence of specific symptoms.

Methods: We recruited COPD patients at high risk for exacerbations from 2 pulmonary rehabilitation clinics and 1 acute care clinic in Switzerland.

Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Stable COPD and Acute Exacerbations of COPD: The Swiss Recommendations 2018.

The Swiss National Guidelines 2013 for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been revised in order to acknowledge recent progress in diagnosis and management of this disease. The resulting new Swiss recommendations are based on best evidence from the literature, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2018 report and other published national guidelines. Misdiagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is common and means that patients do not always receive optimal treatment.

SERPINA1 methylation and lung function in tobacco-smoke exposed European children and adults: a meta-analysis of ALEC population-based cohorts.

Background: The pathophysiological role of SERPINA1 in respiratory health may be more strongly determined by the regulation of its expression than by common genetic variants. A family based study of predominantly smoking adults found methylation at two Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine sites (CpGs) in SERPINA1 gene to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk. The objective of this study was to confirm the association of lung function with SERPINA1 methylation in general population samples by testing a comprehensive set of CpGs in the SERPINA gene cluster.

Associations between Dietary Patterns and Post-Bronchodilation Lung Function in the SAPALDIA Cohort.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not restricted to smokers. Dietary habits may contribute to the disease occurrence. Epidemiological studies point to a protective effect of fruit and vegetable intake against COPD.

Factors associated with cessation of smoking among Swiss adults between 1991 and 2011: results from the SAPALDIA cohort.

Introduction: Smoking is still the most preventable cause of disease and premature death in Switzerland, as elsewhere. We aimed to assess the main determinants of smoking cessation in the population-based cohort of SAPALDIA (Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults).

Methods: The SAPALDIA study was initiated in 1991 with 9651 participants aged 18 to 60 years from eight areas (S1).

Autoadjusted versus fixed CPAP for obstructive sleep apnoea: a multicentre, randomised equivalence trial.

Background: The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is conventionally treated by continuous positive airway pressure set at a fixed level (fCPAP). Automatic mask pressure adjustment (autoCPAP) is increasingly used during home therapy. We investigated whether autoCPAP is equivalent to fCPAP in improving sleepiness in patients with OSAS in the long-term.

Rehabilitation in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Exertional dyspnoea is a leading symptom in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Patients suffering from PAH report poor quality of life, have skeletal muscle dysfunction and in the absence of advanced medical therapy deteriorate progressively due to right heart failure which can lead to death. For decades, patients with PAH were advised to avoid exercise in fear of exacerbated right heart failure.

Health-related quality of life and risk factors associated with spirometric restriction.

The restrictive spirometric pattern is associated with a substantial morbidity and mortality burden. We sought to determine to what extent spirometric restriction is associated with impaired quality of life.We used data from two large population-based European cohorts: 6698 European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) and 6069 Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA) adult participants.

A multicentre validation of the 1-min sit-to-stand test in patients with COPD.

Our aim was to comprehensively validate the 1-min sit-to-stand (STS) test in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and explore the physiological response to the test.We used data from two longitudinal studies of COPD patients who completed inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programmes. We collected 1-min STS test, 6-min walk test (6MWT), health-related quality of life, dyspnoea and exercise cardiorespiratory data at admission and discharge.

Indacaterol and glycopyrronium versus indacaterol on body plethysmography measurements in COPD-a randomised controlled study.

Background: Dual bronchodilator therapy is recommended for symptomatic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There are limited data on effects of a combination of two long-acting bronchodilators on lung function including body plethysmography.

Methods: This multicentre, randomised, double-blind, single-dose, cross-over, placebo-controlled study evaluated efficacy and safety of the free combination of indacaterol maleate (IND) and glycopyrronium bromide (GLY) versus IND alone on spirometric and body plethysmography parameters, including inspiratory capacity (IC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), forced vital capacity (FVC), total lung capacity (TLC) and airway resistance (Raw) in moderate-to-severe COPD patients.

A common functional variant on the pro-inflammatory Interleukin-6 gene may modify the association between long-term PM10 exposure and diabetes.

Background: Air pollutants have been linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypothesized to act through inflammatory pathways and may induce interleukin-6 gene (IL6) in the airway epithelium. The cytokine interleukin-6 may impact on glucose homeostasis. Recent meta-analyses showed the common polymorphisms, IL6 -572G > C and IL6 -174G > C to be associated with T2D risk.

Long-term physical activity is associated with reduced arterial stiffness in older adults: longitudinal results of the SAPALDIA cohort study.

Background: longitudinal analyses of physical activity (PA) and arterial stiffness in populations of older adults are scarce. We examined associations between long-term change of PA and arterial stiffness in the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA).

Methods: we assessed PA in SAPALDIA 2 (2001-03) and SAPALDIA 3 (2010-11) using a short questionnaire with a cut-off of at least 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA per week for sufficient activity.

Rhinitis in Swiss adults is associated with asthma and early life factors, but not second hand tobacco smoke or obesity.

Background: Second hand tobacco smoke (SHS) and overweight/obesity are risk factors for asthma and lower airway respiratory symptoms. We investigated whether SHS or overweight/obesity were also associated with allergic or non-allergic rhinitis.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained during the second SAPALDIA Study.

Long-term smoking cessation and heart rate dynamics in an aging healthy cohort: Is it possible to fully recover?

Aim: To evaluate the long-term influence of smoking cessation on the regulation of the autonomic cardiovascular system in an aging general population, using the subpopulation of lifelong non-smokers as control group.

Methods: We analyzed 1481 participants aged ≥50 years from the SAPALDIA cohort. In each participant, heart rate variability and heart rate dynamics were characterized by means of various quantitative analyzes of the inter-beat interval time series generated from 24-hour electrocardiogram recordings.

Physical activity is associated with lower arterial stiffness in older adults: results of the SAPALDIA 3 Cohort Study.

Associations of physical activity (PA) intensity with arterial stiffness in older adults at the population level are insufficiently studied. We examined cross-sectional associations of self-reported PA intensities with arterial stiffness in elderly Caucasians of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults. Mixed central and peripheral arterial stiffness was measured oscillometrically by the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

Spirometer Replacement and Serial Lung Function Measurements in Population Studies: Results From the SAPALDIA Study.

The Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Disease in Adults (SAPALDIA), a population cohort study, used heated-wire spirometers in 1991 and 2002 and then ultrasonic spirometers in 2010 revealing measurement bias in healthy never smokers. To provide a practical method to control for measurement bias given the replacement of spirometer in long-term population studies, we built spirometer-specific reference equations from healthy never smokers participating in 1991, 2002, and 2010 to derive individualized corrections terms. We compared yearly lung function decline without corrections terms with fixed terms that were obtained from a quasi-experimental study and individualized terms.

Early detection of subjects at risk for vascular remodelling - results from the Swiss population-based study SAPALDIA.

Questions Under Study: As the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases globally, its prevention and risk assessment becomes ever more important. We thus investigated the longitudinal association of the cardiovascular risk scores in the population-based cohort SAPALDIA with carotid intima media thickening (CIMT), an indicator of sub-clinical disease, and CVD incidence.

Methods: In 2,832 SAPALDIA participants, the Swiss and ESC heart risk score (AGLA, SCORE) were calculated based on 2001 data and CIMT was measured in 2010/11.