Chest
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Clinical and Prognostic Impact of low DLco values in patients with GOLD I COPD.
The Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) does not promote diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (Dlco) values in the evaluation of COPD. In GOLD spirometric stage I COPD patients, the clinical and prognostic impact of a low Dlco has not been explored. ⋯ A Dlco cutoff value of <60% predicted was associated with all-cause mortality (Dlco ≥ 60%: 9% vs Dlco < 60%: 23%, P = .01). At a same FEV1% predicted and Charlson score, patients with Dlco < 60% had lower BMI, more dyspnea, lower inspiratory capacity (IC)/total lung capacity (TLC) ratio, lower 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and higher BODE. Cox multiple regression analysis confirmed that after adjusting for age, sex, pack-years history, smoking status, and BMI, a Dlco < 60% is associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 95% CI = 3.37, 1.35-8.39; P = .009) INTERPRETATION: In GOLD I COPD patients, a Dlco < 60% predicted is associated with increased risk of death and worse clinical presentation. What the cause(s) of this association are and whether they can be treated need to be determined.
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Hypoxemia is a cardinal feature of fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). The incidence, progression, and prognostic significance of hypoxemia in patients with fibrotic ILD currently is unknown. ⋯ Patients with IPF have higher cumulative incidence of exertional and resting hypoxemia than patients without IPF. The extended ILD-GAP-O2 model provides additional risk stratification for 1-year prognosis in fibrotic ILD.
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Understanding how health outcomes differ for patients with advanced cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease living in the United States compared with Canada has health policy implications. ⋯ There are lower rates of LTx and an increased risk of death without LTx for US patients with CF with FEV1 < 40% predicted compared with Canadian patients. Findings are more striking among US patients with CF with Medicaid/Medicare health insurance, and nonwhite patients in both countries, raising concerns about underuse of LTx among vulnerable populations.
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Pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS) is a noncaseating granulomatous disease of unknown origin. Despite conflicting reports, it is considered that the regulatory T (Treg) cells are functionally impaired in PS, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. OX40, a pivotal costimulatory molecule, is essential for T-cell functions and memory development, but its impact on Treg cells is ambiguous. ⋯ We propose that inhibiting the OX40 pathway may constitute a therapeutic strategy for controlling inflammatory T cells by restoring Treg cell functions in patients with PS.
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Limited convincing evidence is available of the relationship between habitual snoring and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). ⋯ Habitual snoring was associated with increased risks of total CVD, ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, but not hemorrhagic stroke in Chinese, and these associations were mainly limited to those aged <50 years. Clinicians in China are encouraged to identify snoring, particularly in younger adults.