American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Multicenter StudyPrediction of the clinical course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, using the new GOLD classification: a study of the general population.
The new Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stratification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) into categories A, B, C, and D is based on symptoms, level of lung function, and history of exacerbations. ⋯ The new stratification performs well by identifying individuals at risk of exacerbations. Surprisingly, subgroup B, characterized by more severe dyspnea, had significantly poorer survival than group C, in spite of a higher FEV(1) level. This subgroup warrants special attention, as the poor prognosis could be caused by cardiovascular disease or cancer, requiring additional assessment and treatment.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Multicenter StudyMaternal smoking in pregnancy and asthma in preschool children: a pooled analysis of eight birth cohorts.
Although epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to maternal smoking during fetal and early life increases the risk of childhood wheezing and asthma, previous studies were not able to differentiate the effects of prenatal from postnatal exposure. ⋯ Maternal smoking during pregnancy appears to increase the risk of wheeze and asthma among children who are not exposed to maternal smoking after birth.