Publications by authors named "Watz H"
Importance: Previous exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD) are associated with future events. For more than a decade, patients at high risk have been defined as individuals with a history of 2 or more moderate ECOPD, 1 or more severe ECOPD, or both within 12 months, and treatments have been allocated accordingly, but these cutoffs lack validation.
Objectives: To validate ECOPD history categories by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and explore alternative cutoffs to estimate moderate and severe ECOPD and all-cause mortality in COPD.
Background: The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) comprises eight questions. We evaluated the information that each of the questions and the total score contributed to outcomes and characteristics of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), including their dependence on smoking status.
Methods: Patients with COPD of the COSYCONET cohort with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades 1-4 and the former grade 0 were included.
Background: In patients with chronic diseases, including those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), knowledge on the disease and its self-management is considered as relevant for improving disease control and long-term outcome. We studied to which extent components of knowledge depended on potential predictors, such as participation in educational programs and disease severity. For example, the perception of exacerbations or GOLD grade might modulate the content and reliability of COPD understanding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly associated with ageing, with the prevalence and severity increasing by age. Smoking-induced premature ageing is thought to contribute to COPD, particularly lung emphysema. This study aimed to explore the relationship between lung function impairment and skin texture, as a marker of biological or premature ageing, in COPD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is increasing interest in the use of home-based monitoring in people with chronic lung diseases to improve access to care, support patient self-management, and facilitate the collection of information for clinical care and research. However, integration of home-based monitoring into clinical and research settings requires careful consideration of test performance and other attributes. There is no published guidance from professional respiratory societies to advance the science of home-based monitoring for chronic lung disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPersistent neutrophilic inflammation is a central feature in both the pathogenesis and progression of bronchiectasis. Neutrophils release neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs), such as neutrophil elastase (NE), cathepsin G and proteinase 3. When chronically high levels of free NSP activity exceed those of protective antiproteases, structural lung destruction, mucosal-related defects, further susceptibility to infection and worsening of clinical outcomes can occur.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Evidence on how decisions regarding escalation to triple therapy and de- or re-escalation are taken and the rationale on which these decisions are based is currently limited in Germany.
Objectives: The TETRIS study aims to elucidate influences on treatment decisions surrounding triple therapy in a real-world practice setting in Germany.
Design: TETRIS is an ongoing, multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study recruiting patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with or without asthma who have already been treated with triple therapy for 2-48 weeks.
Article Synopsis
- COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease, and there's a need for new anti-inflammatory treatments, particularly those targeting the PI3K pathway, with CHF6523 being an inhaled PI3Kδ inhibitor showing promise in preliminary tests.
- The study involved 44 patients with stable COPD, using a randomized double-blind design with two treatment phases over 28 days each, to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of CHF6523 compared to a placebo.
- Results indicated that CHF6523 effectively reduced a key inflammatory marker (PIP) by 29.7% from baseline, with pharmacokinetic data suggesting limited drug accumulation and quick absorption after inhalation.
Background: The single-inhaler triple combination of beclometasone dipropionate, formoterol fumarate, and glycopyrronium (BDP/FF/G) is available for maintenance therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cardinal features of COPD are lung hyperinflation and reduced exercise capacity. TRIFORCE aimed to evaluate the effect of BDP/FF/G on lung hyperinflation and exercise capacity in patients with COPD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Researchers aimed to validate the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI) for assessing disability and loss of function specifically in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
- The study involved 605 COPD patients from six European countries, analyzing LLFDI scores and their correlations with physical functioning, symptoms, and health status.
- Results showed moderate validation of the LLFDI across various domains, highlighting significant correlations with disease severity and functional limitations but suggesting adjustments for some subdomains.
Article Synopsis
- Bronchiectasis is caused by high levels of neutrophil serine protease (NSP) activity, and inhibiting Cathepsin C (CatC) may help decrease lung damage caused by neutrophils.
- A Phase II trial tested a new CatC inhibitor (BI 1291583) in 322 adults with bronchiectasis, comparing different doses (1, 2.5, 5 mg) to a placebo over 24 to 48 weeks.
- Results showed that higher doses of BI 1291583 significantly delayed the onset of pulmonary exacerbations, with the 2.5 mg dose being the most effective, while the safety profile was comparable to that of the placebo. *
Background: COPD is one of the most common causes of death in Europe, and is associated with a high exacerbation and hospitalization rate as well as high medical costs. The aim of the study was early detection of exacerbations, preventative intervention through optimized outpatient care, and thereby to decrease rates of rehospitalizations.
Methods And Intervention: Telementor COPD is a prospective, multicentre, unblinded, randomized, controlled study with a study duration of 12 months, implemented at seven clinics and 16 pneumology practices in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
Background: Patients with COPD are often affected by loss of bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporotic fractures. Natriuretic peptides (NP) are known as cardiac markers, but have also been linked to fragility-associated fractures in the elderly. As their functions include regulation of fluid and mineral balance, they also might affect bone metabolism, particularly in systemic disorders such as COPD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacterization and Mortality Risk of Impaired Left Ventricular Filling in COPD.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
July 2024
Article Synopsis
- In patients with COPD, impaired left ventricular (LV) filling can be categorized into two patterns: small LV size and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), both linked to increased all-cause mortality.
- A study involving 1,752 COPD patients found that 8% had small LV, 16% had HFpEF features, and 45% had normal cardiac function, with those having small LV or HFpEF showing significantly higher mortality rates.
- Small LV is an independent predictor of mortality, contrasting with HFpEF as patients with small LV exhibit reduced LV filling but normal filling pressure and lower biomarker levels.
Article Synopsis
- This study explored how CT imaging of pulmonary vessels relates to lung function, disease severity, and mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Researchers used automatic software to analyze CT scans from a nationwide cohort, focusing on the features of arterial and venous vessels during breathing.
- Findings revealed that certain expiratory vessel characteristics, particularly venous volume, are significant predictors of lung function and mortality in COPD patients.
Background: The evidence regarding effects of statins on exacerbation risk in COPD remains controversial. Previous studies often excluded patients with cardiovascular comorbidities despite their high prevalence in COPD and role for exacerbations. Based on the cardioprotective properties of statins, we hypothesised that statins may reduce the risk of exacerbations especially in patients with cardiovascular comorbidities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The clinical validity of real-world walking cadence in people with COPD is unsettled. Our objective was to assess the levels, variability and association with clinically relevant COPD characteristics and outcomes of real-world walking cadence.
Methods: We assessed walking cadence (steps per minute during walking bouts longer than 10 s) from 7 days' accelerometer data in 593 individuals with COPD from five European countries, and clinical and functional characteristics from validated questionnaires and standardised tests.
Background: Randomized controlled trials described beneficial effects of inhaled triple therapy (LABA/LAMA/ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high risk of exacerbations. We studied whether such effects were also detectable under continuous treatment in a retrospective observational setting.
Methods: Data from baseline and 18-month follow-up of the COPD cohort COSYCONET were used, including patients categorized as GOLD groups C/D at both visits (n = 258).
Background: MRproANP and COPAVP are prognostic markers for mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Furthermore, these biomarkers predict mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, which are important prognostically determining comorbidities in patients with COPD. However, less is known about these biomarkers in recently diagnosed mild to moderate COPD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Dupilumab is used for severe type 2 asthma, but patient characteristics in real-world settings are not fully understood, prompting this study to examine baseline data from the ProVENT study.
- In the analysis of 99 patients (59% females), key findings include a median age of 54 and a prevalence of adult-onset asthma (58%) and allergic phenotype (48%), with notable inflammatory markers such as FeNO and eosinophil counts.
- The study found diverse profiles among patients: 70% met at least one GINA criterion for airway inflammation, with 64% having T2-related comorbidities, indicating that eligibility for dupilumab treatment encompasses a range of clinical and biochemical
Background: Many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continue smoking. We used data from the "real-life" COSYCONET COPD cohort to evaluate whether these patients differed from patients with COPD who either had ceased smoking prior to inclusion or ceased during the follow-up time of the study.
Methods: The analysis was based on data from visits 1-5 (covering 4.
Background: Reduced mobility is a central feature of COPD. Assessment of mobility outcomes that can be measured digitally (digital mobility outcomes (DMOs)) in daily life such as gait speed and steps per day is increasingly possible using devices such as pedometers and accelerometers, but the predictive value of these measures remains unclear in relation to key outcomes such as hospital admission and survival.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review, nested within a larger scoping review by the MOBILISE-D consortium, addressing DMOs in a range of chronic conditions.
Background: The use of maintenance medication in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in real life is known to deviate from recommendations in guidelines, which are largely based on randomized controlled trials and selected populations.
Objectives: We used the COSYCONET (PD and stemic Consequences - morbidities work) cohort to analyze factors linked to the use of COPD drugs under non-interventional circumstances.
Design: COSYCONET is an ongoing, multi-center, non-interventional cohort of patients with COPD.