Chest
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Body composition measures, specifically low weight or reduced muscle mass, are associated with mortality in COPD, but the effect of longitudinal body composition changes is undefined. ⋯ Longitudinal loss of PMA is associated with increased all-cause mortality, regardless of BMI or initial muscle mass. Consideration of novel screening tests and further research into mechanisms contributing to muscle decline may improve risk stratification and identify novel therapeutic targets in ever smokers.
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Most pulmonary conditions reduce FVC, but studies of patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema demonstrate that reductions in FVC are less than expected when these two conditions coexist clinically. ⋯ The presence of ILA attenuates the reduction in FVC associated with emphysema.
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Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) frequently coexist; however, there is limited evidence on the relationship between chronic respiratory symptoms in young adulthood and late-onset CVD. ⋯ gov.
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Multiparametric risk assessment is used in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to target therapy. However, this strategy is imperfect because most patients remain at intermediate or high risk after initial treatment, with low risk being the goal. Metrics of right ventricular (RV) adaptation are promising tools that may help refine our therapeutic strategy. ⋯ In patients with advanced PAH, RV-pulmonary arterial coupling could not discriminate irreversible RV failure (nonresponders) at presentation but showed a late trend to improvement by follow-up 2. Early change in Eed and baseline RV ejection fraction were the best predictors of therapeutic response.
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The mental health of patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) has been underestimated. ⋯ gov.