International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2015
ReviewThe stats are in: an update on statin use in COPD.
COPD is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs associated with an abnormal inflammatory response to noxious particles, the most prevalent of which is cigarette smoke. Studies have demonstrated that cigarette smoking is associated with activation of the bone marrow, and chronic smoking can lead to the inflammatory changes seen in COPD. Due to the inflammatory nature of the disease, medications affecting the inflammatory pathway may have clinical benefit and are being evaluated. ⋯ However, the majority of this data comes from retrospective cohort studies, suggesting the need for randomized controlled trials. Recently, two randomized controlled trials, STATCOPE and RODEO, evaluated the benefit of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in the COPD population and found no benefit in exacerbation rates and vascular or pulmonary function, respectively. These results are reflected in practice guidelines, which do not support the use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors for the purpose of reducing COPD exacerbations.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2015
ReviewNovel aspects of pathogenesis and regeneration mechanisms in COPD.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a major cause of death and morbidity worldwide, is characterized by expiratory airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, deregulated chronic inflammation, and emphysematous destruction of the lungs. Despite the fact that COPD is a steadily growing global healthcare problem, the conventional therapies remain palliative, and regenerative approaches for disease management are not available yet. We aim to provide an overview of key reviews, experimental, and clinical studies addressing lung emphysema development and repair mechanisms published in the past decade. ⋯ However, we still lack the holistic understanding of COPD development and the exact picture of the time-course and interplay of the events during stable, exacerbated, corticosteroid-treated COPD states, and transitions in-between. Several generally recognized mechanisms will be discussed shortly herein, ie, unregulated inflammation, proteolysis/antiproteolysis imbalance, and destroyed repair mechanisms, while novel topics such as deviated microbiota, air pollutants-related damage, and autoimmune process within the lung tissue will be discussed more extensively. Considerable influx of new data from the clinic, in vivo and in vitro studies stimulate to search for novel concise explanation and holistic understanding of COPD nowadays.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2015
ReviewCombined bronchodilators (tiotropium plus olodaterol) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a respiratory disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function, is considered to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Long-acting inhaled bronchodilators, such as long-acting β2 agonists (LABAs) or long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs), are the cornerstone of maintenance therapy for patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD. For patients not sufficiently controlled on a single long-acting bronchodilator, a combination of different bronchodilators has shown a significant increase in lung function. ⋯ The combination of olodaterol and tiotropium provided additional improvements in lung function greater than monotherapy with each drug alone. Several well-designed randomized trials confirmed that the synergistic effect of both drugs in combination was able to improve lung function and health-related quality of life without a significant increase in adverse effects. The objective of this paper is to review available evidence on the clinical efficacy and safety of tiotropium, olodaterol, and their combination in patients with COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2015
Review Meta AnalysisEffectiveness of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction using unilateral endobronchial valve: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) can be suggested as an alternative for surgical lung volume reduction surgery for severe emphysema patients. This article intends to evaluate by systematic review the safety and effectiveness of BLVR using a one-way endobronchial valve. ⋯ BLVR may be an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of severe COPD patients with emphysema, based on existing studies.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2015
Review Meta AnalysisThe efficacy and safety of triple inhaled treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis using Bayesian methods.
Although tiotropium (TIO) and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β-agonists are frequently prescribed together, the efficacy of "triple therapy" has not been scientifically demonstrated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using Bayesian methods to compare triple therapy and TIO monotherapy. ⋯ Triple therapy with TIO and ICSs/long-acting β-agonists was only slightly more efficacious than TIO monotherapy in treating patients with COPD. Further investigations into the efficacy of new inhaled drugs are needed.