International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2016
Comparative StudyThe COPD assessment test and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire: are they equivalent in subjects with COPD?
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) is a short questionnaire that has facilitated health status measurements in subjects with COPD. However, it remains controversial as to whether the CAT can be used as a suitable substitute for the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). This study investigated the reliability and score distributions of the CAT and SGRQ and evaluated which factors contributed to health status for each questionnaire. ⋯ The CAT is similar to SGRQ in terms of discriminating health status. However, we demonstrated that what is assessed by the CAT may differ slightly from what is measured by SGRQ.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2016
Multicenter StudyCombination therapy of inhaled steroids and long-acting beta2-agonists in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.
The efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs)/long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) treatment in patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) compared to patients with COPD alone has rarely been examined. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy for the improvement of lung function after ICS/LABA treatment in patients with ACOS compared to COPD alone patients. ⋯ This study provides clinical evidence that ACOS patients with mild-to-moderate airflow limitation showed a greater response in lung function after 3 months of ICS/LABA combination treatment.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2016
Elevated circulating PAI-1 levels are related to lung function decline, systemic inflammation, and small airway obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) participate in inflammation and tissue remolding in various diseases, but their roles in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not yet clear. This study aimed to investigate if PAI-1 and suPAR were involved in systemic inflammation and small airway obstruction (SAO) in COPD. ⋯ Our findings first illustrate that elevated serum PAI-1 levels are related to the lung function decline, systemic inflammation, and SAO in COPD, suggesting that PAI-1 may play critical roles in the pathogenesis of COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2016
Multicenter StudyPrevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction among people with a history of smoking in a primary care setting.
The purpose of this study was to define the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction (AO) among subjects with a history of smoking but no previous diagnosis of chronic lung disease. The finding of AO likely represents diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ⋯ One-seventh of smokers have undiagnosed AO. Spirometry screening of smokers should be considered in order to diagnose AO at an early stage, with an emphasis on smoking cessation.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAssessment of satisfaction with different dry powder inhalation devices in Greek patients with COPD and asthma: the ANASA study.
Poor adherence to inhaled therapy is common in patients with asthma and COPD. An inhaler selection based on patients' preference could be beneficial to adherence and treatment effectiveness. Properly designed questionnaires can assess patients' satisfaction with their medication devices. The aim of this study was to estimate, using the Feeling of Satisfaction with Inhaler (FSI-10) questionnaire, the ease of use and satisfaction of patients regarding three different marketed dry powder inhalers (DPIs): Diskus(®) (DK), Elpenhaler(®) (EH), and Turbuhaler(®) (TH). The FSI-10 is a self-completed questionnaire to assess patients' opinions regarding ease of use, portability, and usability of devices, irrespective of the drug used. ⋯ All DPIs tested were highly acceptable by asthma and COPD patients of different ages; nevertheless, EH received significantly higher ratings in most of the questionnaire domains. COPD patients in advanced stages of the disease generally expressed higher level of satisfaction with their devices.