International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2012
Clinical diaries in COPD: compliance and utility in predicting acute exacerbations.
Daily diaries are often used to collect data on disease activity, but are burdensome and compliance may be poor. Their use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and impact on the prevention and treatment of exacerbations is poorly researched. ⋯ Good compliance can be achieved using daily diaries in COPD, although this is worse in those with a poor educational level. Diary-keeping is not accurate in predicting acute exacerbations, but could be substantially simplified without loss of efficiency.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2012
Adherence to current guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among patients treated with combination of long-acting bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroids.
To estimate the potential cost savings by following the current Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guideline recommendations in patients being treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with the combination of long-acting β(2)-agonist (LABA), long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) or inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). ⋯ Staging of COPD with a PFT and adherence to current GOLD guidelines was associated with lower costs in subjects with moderate to severe COPD. Appropriate use of LAMA plus LABA, LABA plus ICS, and LAMA plus LABA/ICS has economic as well as clinical benefits for patients and payers.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2012
Correlates of COPD and chronic bronchitis in nonsmokers: data from a cross-sectional study.
Our objective was to assess the prevalence of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their correlates among a Lebanese nonsmoker group. ⋯ A substantial percentage of the nonsmoking population may exhibit chronic bronchitis or COPD. The significant correlates mentioned above should be taken into consideration in order to reduce the risk of developing such chronic and debilitating respiratory diseases.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2012
Proposing a standardized method for evaluating patient report of the intensity of dyspnea during exercise testing in COPD.
Measuring dyspnea intensity associated with exercise provides insights into dyspnea-limited exercise capacity, and has been used to evaluate treatment outcomes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Three patient-reported outcome scales commonly cited for rating dyspnea during exercise are the modified Borg scale (MBS), numerical rating scale for dyspnea (NRS-D), and visual analogue scale for dyspnea (VAS-D). Various versions of each scale were found. Our objective was to evaluate the content validity of scales commonly used in COPD studies, to explore their ability to capture patients' experiences of dyspnea during exercise, and to evaluate a standardized version of the MBS. ⋯ This study provides initial evidence in support of using a standardized version of the MBS version for quantifying dyspnea intensity associated with exercise in patients with COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2012
Comparative StudyPatient characteristics, treatment patterns, and health outcomes among COPD phenotypes.
Recent literature has suggested that emphysema and chronic bronchitis, traditionally considered to be entities overlapping within chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may be distinct disorders. Few studies have examined the differences in patient characteristics and health outcomes between these conditions. This study examined whether COPD phenotypes represent distinct patient populations, in a large nationally representative US sample. ⋯ These results suggest considerable heterogeneity among different COPD phenotypes with respect to demographics, health characteristics, disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and health outcomes. Research aimed at understanding the differences in patient characteristics and disease presentation of these phenotypes could be used to guide treatment recommendations.