Respiratory medicine
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The prevalence and characteristics of pain are not known in COPD patients. The purposes of this study were to determine if pain is more common in COPD patients than in healthy people and if it was related to self-reported physical activity, health related quality of life (HRQoL) and comorbidities. ⋯ COPD patients demonstrate more pain which interferes with activities more so than healthy people of similar age. Pain is also negatively associated with HRQoL in COPD.
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Baseline values for daily step counts in US adults with COPD and knowledge of its accurate measurement, natural change over time, and independent relationships with measures of COPD severity are limited. ⋯ These findings will aid the design of future studies using daily step counts in COPD. Accurately measured, daily step counts decline over time partly due to season and capture unique information about COPD status.
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Respiratory medicine · Jul 2012
ReviewAirway bacterial colonization: the missing link between COPD and cardiovascular events?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and, according to the World Health Organization, its prevalence will double by 2020. COPD is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung characterized by poorly reversible airflow limitation and, frequently, by extrapulmonary manifestations. In particular, the cardiovascular manifestations are responsible for high morbidity and mortality. ⋯ COPD is associated with an increased burden of atherosclerotic disease. Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress play key roles in this association. COPD patients with airway bacterial colonization, as compared to patients without airway colonization, generally present more frequent exacerbations and higher levels of both airway and systemic inflammation. This COPD subgroup should be considered at particularly increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications and receive more attention concerning diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research.
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Respiratory medicine · Jul 2012
COPD among non-smokers - report from the obstructive lung disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) studies.
In westernized countries smoking and increasing age are the most important risk factors for COPD. Prevalence and risk factors of COPD among non-smokers are not well studied. ⋯ The prevalence of airway obstruction among non-smokers was close to 7% and was associated with increasing age. One out of seven men with airway obstruction, defined using the fixed ratio, versus one out of four women had never smoked.
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Respiratory medicine · Jul 2012
Respiratory movement and pain thresholds in airway environmental sensitivity, asthma and COPD.
Patients with "sensory hyperreactivity" (SHR) have airway environmental sensitivity, chronic cough and dyspnoea. Cough, chest discomfort and sense of difficulties getting air are some of the symptoms these patients seek medical attendance for. The patients have increased cough sensitivity to inhaled capsaicin, mediated by ion channel receptors on sensory nerves also known to react to pain stimuli. Whether a link exists between capsaicin airway sensitivity and pain sensitivity has not yet been evaluated. The aim was to investigate chest mobility, respiratory movement and pain sensitivity in SHR patients compared with patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alleged healthy control subjects. ⋯ Patients with SHR have evident signs of dysfunctional breathing and appeared to be most similar to the COPD group except for lung function. Lower pain thresholds among the patients indicate a general up-regulation of the sensory nerve system.