Chest
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The independent, mediation, interaction, and joint effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and phenotypic frailty on the incidence of COPD are unclear. ⋯ Low SES and frailty are independent risk factors for COPD, and these 2 factors also have synergistic interaction in COPD. Frailty partially mediated the association between SES and COPD. Thus, the early identification and reversal of frailty may minimize the risk of COPD, especially in individuals with low SES.
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OSA causes episodes of fragmented sleep and intermittent hypoxia and leads to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Deficits in cognitive function are a troublesome symptom in patients with OSA and EDS. ⋯ gov and EudraCT; No.: 2020-004243-92; URL: https://eudract.ema.europa.eu.
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Quantitative Computed Tomography Analysis in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Interstitial Lung Disease.
Quantitative CT imaging may be a useful predictor of outcome in rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). ⋯ In two cohorts of patients with RA-ILD, quantitative assessment of lung fibrosis on CT imaging was associated with worse lung function at baseline and risk of mortality. Increase in DTA-derived lung fibrosis score on sequential scans was associated with subsequent risk of mortality. Quantitative CT imaging should be considered for use as a clinical and research outcome assessment tool in RA-ILD.
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Current guidelines do not recommend β-blockers in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) unless indicated by comorbidities. However, the evidence regarding the role of β-blockers in PAH is contradictory. ⋯ gov.
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There are limited US Federal Drug Administration-approved medications and real-world data on sarcoidosis treatment in the United States. Concordance of practice patterns with guideline recommendations have not been well characterized. ⋯ Within the first year of diagnosis, 43% of patients with sarcoidosis were started on treatment. Nonsteroidal immunosuppressives were used in 40% of treated patients. Although factors associated with treatment initiation aligned with guideline recommendations, practice patterns of treatment were variable, particularly in choice and sequence of nonsteroidal immunosuppressive therapy, underscoring the need for future trials and comparative effectiveness studies.