Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Aug 2015
ReviewSmoking Cessation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Smoking cessation is the most effective strategy for slowing down the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and reducing mortality in the approximately 50% of patients with diagnosed COPD who continue to smoke. While behavioral interventions (including simple advice) have modest efficacy in improving smoking quit rates, the combination of counseling and pharmacotherapy is more effective than either alone. When combined with even brief counseling, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion SR, and varenicline have all been shown to be effective in promoting smoking cessation and sustained abstinence in smokers with COPD to a degree comparable to that observed in the general smoking population. ⋯ One approach is to combine different pharmacotherapies, for example, nicotine patch plus rapidly acting NRT (e.g., gum or nasal spray) and/or bupropion or even varenicline plus either NRT or bupropion, in a stepwise approach over a varying duration depending on the severity of nicotine dependence and nicotine withdrawal symptoms during the quit attempt, as proposed in the American College of Chest Physicians Tobacco Dependence Took Kit. Electronic (e)-cigarettes, which deliver vaporized nicotine without most of the noxious components in the smoke from burning tobacco cigarettes, also has potential efficacy as a smoking cessation aid, but their efficacy and safety as either substitutes for regular cigarettes or smoking cessation aids require additional study. This task is complicated because e-cigarettes are currently unregulated and hundreds of different brands are currently available.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Aug 2015
ReviewNew Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
The last 5 years have seen a proliferation of data about the best way to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). New long-acting inhaled β-agonist and antimuscarinic drugs have been developed as a once-daily inhaled corticosteroid. ⋯ New data are beginning to define which patients benefit from which treatments and this will help us develop more appropriate treatment regimes. These topics are considered in this review which provides an overview of the latest data and some direction as to how these findings can be applied in practice.
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Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a rare genetic disease that creates multiple unique phenotypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While bronchospasm, cough, dyspnea, and sputum production all occur with AATD, the phenotypic differences require a computed tomographic (CT) scan to decipher. The availability of augmentation therapy in the United States since 1989 has generated both controversy and evidence that informs the science of usual chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ These studies are important for better understanding of usual COPD pathogenesis. Significantly, there are no adequately powered research studies to determine if augmentation therapy is helpful for the non-emphysema phenotypes of AATD. Specifically, phenotypes of chronic bronchitis, asthma predominant disease, and bronchiectasis will require targeted research studies to define optimal therapy.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Aug 2015
ReviewNovel Endoscopic Approaches to Treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Emphysema.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a widespread disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. The principal aim of therapy is preventing disease progression. Besides rehabilitation and pharmacological treatment, different endoscopic approaches were developed in the past decade extending the therapeutic spectrum. ⋯ Besides ELVR techniques, targeted lung denervation has evolved as the latest development in the field of endoscopic therapy in COPD. The aim of this endoscopic method is sustainable bronchodilation by minimizing the influence of parasympathetic pulmonary nerves on smooth muscles of the airways. This review summarizes the different endoscopic procedures, their mechanism of action, and the results of the clinical trials including efficacy and safety.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Aug 2015
ReviewChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Evolving Concepts in Treatment: Advances in Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Over the past three decades, pulmonary rehabilitation has risen to the stature as a gold standard for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This rise is owing to both the development of science explaining mechanisms underlying its effectiveness and the demonstration of its substantial benefits across multiple outcome areas of importance to patients. Arguably, pulmonary rehabilitation provides the greatest improvements of any therapy in the areas of dyspnea-relief, exercise performance, and functional and health status. ⋯ Two major components of pulmonary rehabilitation are exercise training and behavioral interventions. An example of the latter is a collaborative action plan for the early recognition and prompt treatment of the COPD exacerbation. Innovation in pulmonary rehabilitation includes (1) expanding its applicability, such as demonstrating effectiveness in the non-COPD respiratory patient, in milder COPD, in the periexacerbation period, and its provision in the home and community settings; (2) improving its process, such as refining the self-management and behavioral interventions, and the promotion of physical activity in the home and community settings; and (3) promoting its accessibility, such as exploring its potential usefulness in nontraditional settings (the home and community) and developing technology to assist in its implementation.