Chest
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
β-Blockers in COPD: A Cohort Study From the TONADO Research Program.
Cardiovascular disease is a frequent comorbidity in patients with COPD. Many physicians, particularly pulmonologists, are reluctant to use β-adrenoceptor blocking agents (β-blockers) in patients with COPD, despite their proven effectiveness in preventing cardiovascular events. ⋯ Lung function, overall respiratory status, and safety of tiotropium/olodaterol were not influenced by baseline β-blocker treatment in patients with moderate to very severe COPD. Results from this large patient cohort support the cautious and appropriate use of β-blockers in patients with COPD and cardiovascular comorbidity.
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Recent evidence has highlighted the health inequalities in sleep behaviors and sleep disorders that adversely affect outcomes in select populations, including African-American and Hispanic-American subjects. Race-related sleep health inequalities are ascribed to differences in multilevel and interlinked health determinants, such as sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and biology. ⋯ This review describes sleep health inequalities in African-American and Hispanic-American subjects and considers the potential utility of ancestry studies to exploit these differences to gain insight into the genetic underpinnings of these phenotypes. The inclusion of genetic approaches in future studies of admixed populations will allow greater understanding of the potential biological basis of race-related sleep health inequalities.
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Meta Analysis
Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is common in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and has been proposed as a potential contributor to disease progression and exacerbation. Whether treatment of GER improves health outcomes in patients with IPF is controversial. Our objective was to review the efficacy and safety of GER treatments in IPF. ⋯ Low-quality evidence suggests pharmacologic treatment of GER is associated with a reduction in IPF-related mortality but not overall mortality. Randomized trials of antacid therapy in IPF are needed.
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COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Long-term cigarette smoking is the cause of > 90% of COPD cases in Westernized countries. However, only a fraction of chronic heavy smokers develop symptomatic COPD by age 80. ⋯ As such, the potential contribution of an autoimmune response to the pathogenesis of COPD exacerbation is still being investigated and represents an area of active research. Many drugs targeting autoimmune responses are already available, and the results of controlled clinical trials are awaited with great interest. The potential for measuring specific serum autoantibodies as biomarkers to predict clinical phenotypes or progression of stable COPD is promising.