Chest
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Constrained by a limited supply of specialized personnel, health systems face a challenge in caring for the large number of patients with OSA. The complexity of this challenge is heightened by the varied clinical presentations of OSA and the diversity of treatment approaches. ⋯ This review discusses the diversity of needs in OSA care, the evidence base behind recent care innovations, and the potential limitations of each innovation in meeting the diversity of care needs. We propose how these innovations can fit within the stepped care and hub and spoke models in a way that addresses the full spectrum of OSA, and we discuss future research directions to assess the deployment of these innovations.
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Regional and/or national severe asthma registries provide valuable country-specific information. However, they are often limited in scope within the broader definitions of severe asthma, have insufficient statistical power to answer many research questions, lack intraoperability to share lessons learned, and have fundamental differences in data collected, making cross comparisons difficult. What is missing is a worldwide registry which brings all severe asthma data together in a cohesive way, under a single umbrella, based on standardized data collection protocols, permitting data to be shared seamlessly. ⋯ This gives ISAR sufficient statistical power to answer important research questions, sufficient data standardization to compare across countries and regions, and the structure and expertise necessary to ensure its continuance and the scientific integrity and clinical applicability of its research. ISAR offers a unique opportunity to implement existing knowledge, generate new knowledge, and identify the unknown, therefore promoting new research. The aim of this commentary is to fully describe how ISAR may improve our understanding of severe asthma.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Associations between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels, lung function, and exacerbation outcomes in COPD: An analysis of the SPIROMICS cohort.
The relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-vitamin D) and COPD outcomes remains unclear. Using the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS), we determined associations among baseline 25-OH-vitamin D and cross-sectional and longitudinal lung function and COPD exacerbations. ⋯ Vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse cross-sectional and longitudinal lung function and increased odds of prior COPD exacerbations. These findings identify 25-OH-vitamin D levels as a potentially useful marker of adverse COPD-related outcomes.
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To date, nothing is known about the evolution of survival in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) over the last decade. ⋯ Over the period 2006 to 2017, survival in systemic sclerosis-associated PAH improved over time in patients aged ≤ 70 years but not in older patients. Further investigations are needed to confirm this relation, as general improvement in medical care and management may also be a possible explanation.