Severe Exacerbations Research Articles

COPD and Smoking Status - It Does Matter: Characteristics and Prognosis of COPD According to Smoking Status.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic, often progressive disease, which in most patients is caused by tobacco smoking. Our study focuses on differences in COPD-related outcomes between never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers. A nationwide, population-based cohort study utilizing Danish health registries. Clinical and socioeconomic variables including smoking status, comorbidities, and dyspnea were obtained. Poisson and Cox Regression were used to calculate the impact of these clinical parameters on the risk of moderate and severe exacerbations and mortality during 12 months of follow-up. A total of 49,826 patients ≥40 years of age, with a hospital diagnosis of COPD in 2008-2017, were identified (mean age 69.2 years, 52% females). A total of 2127 (4%) were never smokers, 29,854 (60%) were former smokers and 17,845 (36%) current smokers. Compared to former and current smokers, never smokers reported a lower modified Medical Research Council score and had a milder COPD stage according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease classification. During follow-up, never smokers had a significantly lower risk of severe exacerbations (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-0.97) and a lower rate of death (mortality ratio 0.75, 95% CI 0.70-0.81) compared to patients with a smoking history. Our nationwide study showed that COPD in never smokers is characterized by a lower level of dyspnea, milder lung function impairment, and a lower risk of exacerbations and death. At the same time, we found active smokers to have the highest risk. These findings highlight the need for campaigns to prevent smoking and may help general practitioners as well as other health care professionals to motivate patients with COPD to stop smoking.

Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Triamcinolone in the Management of Acute Exacerbations of Asthma: A Prospective Interventional Study

Introduction: Acute exacerbation of asthma leads to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Oral Corticosteroids (OCS) are critical in the management of asthma exacerbations; however, the response varies between patients. While there are some studies about a good response to Intramuscular (IM) triamcinolone, there is no data about the effect of oral triamcinolone on objective parameters during asthma exacerbations. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral triamcinolone as an adjunct to Standard-Of-Care (SOC) comprising Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS) with or without Long-Acting β2-Agonist (LABA) in treating mild-to-moderate exacerbations of asthma. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, interventional, single-arm, single-centre, open-label study. Adults with bronchial asthma on stable doses of asthma medications for at least three months and presenting with mild-to-moderate exacerbation were recruited. Oral triamcinolone 4-16 mg/day for seven days was prescribed depending on exacerbation severity. Improvements in the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-6) score, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1), and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) were evaluated. All patients in the study who had taken at least one dose of the study medication were included in the Intention-To-Treat (ITT) set. All patients in the ITT set who completed the study as Per Protocol (PP) were included in the PP set and considered for effectiveness analysis. Qualitative data are presented as numbers (n) and percentages (%), and quantitative data as n, mean, and Standard Deviation (SD). Quantitative variables were further evaluated using paired t-test at a 5% level of significance. Results: A total of 100 (38 males and 62 females) patients with a mean±SD age of 45.2±12.7 years were enrolled. The mean ACQ score decreased from 2.2 to 1.4 (p-value<0.001), mean FEV1 increased from 1.6 to 1.7 L/s (p-value<0.001), and the mean±SD PEFR increased significantly from 251.5±90.0 to 270.4±88.3 L/ min (p-value<0.001) on day 7. Overall, triamcinolone was welltolerated with no serious Adverse Events (AE). Conclusion: In patients with mild-to-moderate asthma exacerbations, oral triamcinolone as an adjunct to SOC improved ACQ-6 score, FEV1, and PEFR with a favourable safety profile. These findings support the use of oral triamcinolone for treating acute exacerbations of asthma.

Association between serum procalcitonin level with exacerbation severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Association between serum procalcitonin level with exacerbation severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Real-World Cost-Consequence Analysis of an Integrated Chronic Disease Management Program in Saskatchewan, Canada.

An integrated disease management program otherwise called a clinical pathway was recently implemented in Saskatchewan, Canada for patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study compared the real-world costs and consequences of the COPD clinical pathway program with 2 control treatment programs. The study comprised adult COPD patients in Regina (clinical pathway group, N = 759) matched on propensity scores to 2 independent control groups of similar adults in (1) Regina (historical controls, N = 759) and (2) Saskatoon (contemporaneous controls, N = 759). The study measures included patient-level healthcare costs and acute COPD exacerbation outcomes, both tracked in population-based administrative health data over a one-year follow-up period. Analyses included Cox proportional hazards models and differences in means between groups. The bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap method was used to calculate 95% confidence intervals (CI). The COPD pathway patients had lower risks of moderate (hazard ratio [HR] =0.57, 95% CI [0.40-0.83]) and severe (HR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.28-0.66]) exacerbations compared to the historical control group, but similar risks compared with the contemporaneous control group. The COPD pathway patients experienced fewer episodes of exacerbations compared with the historical control group (mean difference = -0.30, 95% CI [-0.40, -0.20]) and the contemporaneous control group (mean difference = -0.12, 95% CI [-0.20, -0.03]). Average annual healthcare costs in Canadian dollars were marginally higher among patients in the COPD clinical pathway (mean = $10 549, standard deviation [SD] =$18 149) than those in the contemporaneous control group ($8841, SD = $17 120), but comparable to the historical control group ($10 677, SD = $21 201). The COPD pathway provides better outcomes at about the same costs when compared to the historical controls, but only slightly better outcomes and at a marginally higher cost when compared to the contemporaneous controls.

Severe Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Are There Significant Differences Between Hospitalized and Emergency Department Patients?

Current guidelines define a severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) as an increase in symptoms requiring hospital admission or emergency department (ED) visit. Little is known about whether or not subjects requiring hospitalization and those needing only ED care have similar patient profiles and if their clinical outcomes appear comparable. The main goals of this study were to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients treated for an AECOPD with an inpatient admission versus an ED visit and to review if hospital resource utilization was different between the 2 groups after discharge. Subjects treated in 2022 at Montfort Hospital for an AECOPD were reviewed. Patient demographic information was collected in addition to spirometry results and blood eosinophil counts on file. Supplemental oxygen use and medication lists were also recorded. Patients with an initial hospital admission were compared to those requiring only ED care with univariate and multivariate analyses. We also assessed if subjects were again treated for an AECOPD up to 6 months post initial discharge, and if so, the type of hospital visits (hospitalization or ED). A total of 135 individuals necessitated hospitalization and 79 received ED care for the treatment of an AECOPD. On univariate analysis, patients requiring an inpatient stay appeared older and were more likely to have spirometry results on file. A greater proportion of hospitalized individuals were on supplemental oxygen and prescribed at least one long-acting inhaled medication. These studied variables remained significant after multivariate logistic regression analysis. Subjects with an initial inpatient admission were also more likely to require hospitalization upon repeat presentation for a severe AECOPD. Given the important differences observed in both patient characteristics and hospital resource utilization, this study supports considering an AECOPD requiring inpatient admission versus an ED visit as distinct categories of events.

Comparative Analysis of Peak Inspiratory Flow Rate at Discharge and Three-month Follow-up in Severe Acute Exacerbation of COPD Patients using Metered Dose Inhalers versus Dry Powder Inhalers: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: Patients discharged following hospitalisation for Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) are prescribed Metered Dose Inhalers (MDI), Dry Powder Inhalers (DPI), or nebulisers. Drug dispersion from the inhaler and deposition in the lung depends on Peak Inspiratory Flow Rate (PIFR) among other factors. A low PIFR results in suboptimal drug delivery and is a risk factor for readmission. Aim: To estimate PIFR at discharge following AECOPD, assess the type of inhalers prescribed at discharge, and estimate the mean change in PIFR at three months follow-up in patients using MDI and DPI. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital, Goa Medical College, Goa, India on 138 patients over 15 months from November 2018 to February 2020. A sample size of 138 was calculated, and the study duration was 15 months. Patients admitted with AECOPD were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent. At discharge, baseline characteristics and co-morbidities were recorded, and PIFR was measured using an in-check dial peak inspiratory flow meter without resistance. Inhalers prescribed by the treating physician were verified and checked for errors. PIFR was measured at three months of follow-up. Optimal PIFR was defined as PIFR of ≥60 L/min. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Programs (SPSS) version 24.0 (IBM Corp, SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). A paired t-test assessed the change in PIFR at discharge and three months follow-up, and Pearson’s correlation test was used to assess the correlation between continuous variables. Results: Total 138 were enrolled with a mean age of 69.8±7.5 years, 87 (63%) were males. The mean PIFR at discharge was 58.9±24.7 L/min. 85 (61.6%) had suboptimal PIFR and were older {71.9±7.8 versus 66.3±5.6, p-value=0.01}. A total of 59 (69.4%) with suboptimal PIFR received MDI. At three months, the suboptimal PIFR group receiving MDI showed a mean change in PIFR of 18.6±7.7, p-value<0.001 while with DPI mean change was -3.8±6.3, p-value=0.005. Conclusion: 61.6% had suboptimal PIFR at discharge following hospitalisation with AECOPD. Patients with suboptimal PIFR receiving MDI showed improvement in PIFR at three months, while those with suboptimal PIFR using DPI showed significant deterioration. Identifying patients with suboptimal PIFR will aid appropriate prescription of inhaler devices.

A Low Eosinophil to Platelet Ratio as a Worse Prognostic Index for Emergency Department Attendance in Acute Exacerbation of COPD.

Identifying prognosis for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is challenging. Eosinophils and platelet are involved in the development of COPD, which may predict adverse events. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the eosinophil to platelet ratio (EPR) in predicting adverse events in patients with AECOPD who visited the emergency department. The records of patients with AECOPD treated at Dalian Municipal Friendship Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The relationship between the clinical characteristics and EPR, as cut-off value of 0.755, was evaluated. A total of 508 patients with an AECOPD (316 male, 192 female) were included. An optimal AUC cutoff of 0.755 for the EPR segregated the patients into 2 groups with significantly different mortality (25.3% vs 5.5%, P < 0.001). The same mortality risk with lower EPR was observed among the patients with emergency room attendance (35.6% vs 11.1%, P < 0.001). A model including EPR <0.755, exacerbation history, PaO2 <60mmHg, PaCO2 >50 mm Hg, hypoalbuminemia and age ≥80 was developed to predict death risk and showed good performance. During severe COPD exacerbation, an EPR < 0.755 preceding therapy can predict worse outcomes in patients with an AECOPD.

High-intensity aerobic exercise training improves exercise capacity, dyspnea, and fatigue in patients with severe asthma using triple inhaler.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide and causes severe symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and breathing difficulty. Despite modern treatments, 3%-10% of patients develop severe asthma, which requires high-dose medications, and they may still experience frequent and severe symptoms, exacerbations, and psychological impacts. This study aimed to investigate the effects of high-intensity aerobic exercise training (HIAET) in patients with severe asthma. Patients with severe asthma were recruited, and cardiopulmonary exercise tests, dyspnea, and leg fatigue scores were performed before HIAET. Participants underwent a 12-week hospital-based HIAET, which involved exercising twice weekly to reach 80% of their peak oxygen uptake (VO2). Eighteen patients with severe asthma underwent HIAET, which resulted in significant improvement in peak VO2 (1214.0 ± 297.9-1349.4 ± 311.2 mL/min, P = 0.004) and work rate (80.6 ± 21.2-96.2 ± 24.8 watt, P < 0.001) and decrease in dyspnea (5.1 ± 1.8-4.1 ± 1.2, P = 0.017) and fatigue scores (5.2 ± 2.3-4.0 ± 1.2, P = 0.020) at peak exercise. No significant changes were observed in spirometry results, respiratory muscle strength, or circulatory parameters. HIAET can lead to improved exercise capacity and reduced dyspnea and fatigue scores at peak exercise without changes in spirometry, respiratory muscle strength, and circulatory parameters.

Protective antibody concentrations in primary immunodeficiency following infusion with 5% or 10% intravenous immunoglobulin.

Inadequate production of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies renders patients with primary immunodeficiencysusceptible to infection by numerous pathogens, some of which can lead to severe asthma exacerbation and possible death. These patients who are immunocompromised are often reliant on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapies, which provide passive antibodies against various respiratory pathogens, including measles virus and encapsulated bacteria. We conducted a subanalysis of data from a multicenter, multinational, phase III, open-label bioequivalencestudy to compare protective concentrations of IgG antibodies provided by a 5% and a 10% IVIG product in patients with primaryimmunodeficiency. Patients on stable 21- or 28-day regimens of previous IVIG products were assigned to receive study treatment (adults: 5% IVIG and 10% IVIG; children: 10% IVIG) at doses of 300-800 mg/kg per infusion. Trough concentrations of total IgG, IgG subclasses, measles-neutralizing antibodies, and IgG against Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes were evaluated. A total of 48 patients (33 adults ages 16-55 years; 15 children ages 2-15 years) were enrolled and received treatment.No statistically significant differences in trough concentrations of total IgG, IgG subclasses, measles neutralizing antibodies, or IgG directed at encapsulated bacteria were observed between the 5% and 10% formulations in analyses by age (adult or pediatric) or infusion schedule (every 21 or 28 days). All evaluated patients had trough IgG concentrations above accepted thresholds for protection against disease. These findings support the conclusion that, at dose levels and infusion schedules prescribed in clinical practice,this 5% and 10% IVIG product provided consistent, predictable, and bioequivalent IgG concentrations for adult and pediatricpatients with primary immunodeficiency disease. Both formulations delivered trough antibody concentrations of total IgG, measles- neutralizing antibodies, and antibodies against encapsulated bacteria that are above thresholds accepted as protective.

Serum YKL-40 as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Asthma: Correlations with Exacerbation, Inflammatory Markers, and Disease Severity

Serum YKL-40 as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Asthma: Correlations with Exacerbation, Inflammatory Markers, and Disease Severity

Asthma and Sport

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways affecting approximately 300 million people worldwide. Asthma causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, typically occurring at night or early in the morning. The article discusses the pathophysiology of asthma, characterized by episodic, reversible airway constriction, airway hyperreactivity, and underlying inflammation. Diagnosis and management of asthma require precise methods and adjustments in lifestyle and medication to minimize exposure to known triggers and prevent severe exacerbations. Additionally, the relationships between asthma and COPD, as well as asthma and physical activity, particularly exercise-induced asthma, are explored. Recent developments in asthma treatment, such as the use of combined inhalation medications and the treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases to improve asthma symptoms, are also highlighted. Furthermore, the importance of spirometry as a diagnostic tool and correct inhalation techniques to maximize therapy efficiency are emphasized.

Clinical Characteristics and Frequency of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations in Korean Patients: Findings From the KOCOSS Cohort 2012-2021.

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) exert a substantial burden on patients and healthcare systems; however, data related to the frequency of AECOPD in the Korean population are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the frequency of severe, and moderate or severe AECOPD, as well as clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in South Korea. Data from patients aged > 40 years with post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity ≤ 70% of the normal predicted value from the Korea COPD Subgroup Study database were analyzed (April 2012 to 2021). The protocol was based on the EXAcerbations of COPD and their OutcomeS International study. Data were collected retrospectively for year 0 (0-12 months before study enrollment) based on patient recall, and prospectively during years 1, 2, and 3 (0-12, 13-24, and 25-36 months after study enrollment, respectively). The data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Data from 3,477 Korean patients (mean age, 68.5 years) with COPD were analyzed. Overall, most patients were male (92.3%), former or current smokers (90.8%), had a modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale score ≥ 1 (83.3%), and had moderate airflow limitation (54.4%). The mean body mass index (BMI) of the study population was 23.1 kg/m², and 27.6% were obese or overweight. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (37.6%). The mean blood eosinophil count was 226.8 cells/μL, with 21.9% of patients having ≥ 300 cells/μL. A clinically insignificant change in FEV1 (+1.4%) was observed a year after enrollment. Overall, patients experienced a mean of 0.2 severe annual AECOPD and approximately 1.1 mean moderate or severe AECOPD. Notably, the rates of severe AECOPD remained generally consistent over time. Compared with patients with no exacerbations, patients who experienced severe exacerbations had a lower mean BMI (21.7 vs. 23.1 kg/m²; P < 0.001) and lower lung function parameters (all P values < 0.001), but reported high rates of depression (25.5% vs. 15.1%; P = 0.044) and anxiety (37.3% vs. 16.7%; P < 0.001) as a comorbidity. Findings from this Korean cohort of patients with COPD indicated a high exacerbation burden, which may be attributable to the unique characteristics of the study population and suboptimal disease management. This highlights the need to align clinical practices with the latest treatment recommendations to alleviate AECOPD burden in Korea. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05750810.

Asthma in patients with the syndrome of undifferentiated dysplasia of connective tissue: peculiarities of the course or mutually aggravating mechanisms?

Aim: To analyse laboratory and biochemical features of the severe persistent course of asthma in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD) syndrome, and their phenotypic and visceral stigmas of dysembryogenesis. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 60 male patients with asthma, aged from 23 to 62 years (mean age (46.83 ±0.85) years): 30 patients with the background of UCTD, and 30 - without UCTD. We analysed clinical, somatometric, surveying (original questionnaire based on the phenotypic map of Glesby), instrumental (spirography, echocardiography, endoscopy, esophagofibrogastroduodenoscopy) and laboratory (including eosinophilic granulocytes and aldosterone levels) data. Results: Correlations were found in men with UCTD between the number of UCTD markers and rate of earlobe diagonal fold (r=+0.75; р<0.05), asthenic constitution (r=+0.72; р<0.05), easy bruising (r=+0.7; p<0.05) and straight abdominal line hernia (r=+0.52; p<0.05). Average aldosterone serum level in patients with UCTD (176,10 ±11,22) was significantly higher than in those without UCTD (142,77 ±9,43), (p<0.05), as well as average eosinophils levels (1.3 ±0.25 vs. 0.57 ±0.12, p<0.05). In the absolute majority of patients with UCTD (93.3%) asthma onset was confirmed after pneumonia, and their age of asthma manifestation was significantly higher (37.2 ±1.21) than in patients without UCTD (21.4 ±1.13). Also, in patients with UCTD there was a high number of severe exacerbations during the last year (2.7 ±0.12 per year) on the background of high doses of combined inhaled glucocorticosteroids use. Conclusions: Identified "phenotypic profile", clinical and biochemical features of patients with asthma on the background of UCTD syndrome, which determine the severe course and early formation of asthma complications, will further accelerate the diagnosis of this asthma phenotype and improve approaches to the selection of treatment regimens for these patients.

Effect of a nurse-led integrated care intervention on quality of life and rehospitalisation in patients with severe exacerbation of COPD-a pilot study.

To explore the feasibility and effect of a nurse-led integrated care intervention on health-related quality of life (QoL) and unplanned 90-day rehospitalisation in patients hospitalised due to acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). A monocentric non-randomized parallel cluster design was applied. The primary endpoint was the difference between Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) Mastery Scores at hospital discharge and 13weeks post-discharge. Secondary endpoints were differences between other CRQ scores, numbers of rehospitalisations and self-reported exacerbations. The study would end either 13weeks after the full sample size was achieved or when study time ran out. The study was terminated before reaching the targeted sample size. Of 174 invitees, 69 (39.7%, 30 control, 39 intervention) consented to participate. Of those, 47 completed the study, 45 of whom had complete data sets for the primary endpoint. No differences in QoL scores, unplanned COPD-related rehospitalisations or unplanned all-cause rehospitalisations were detected. The mean number of self-reported moderate exacerbations was higher in the intervention group (p = 0.006). The pilot study had slow recruitment, high drop-out rates, and no significant effect on 3-month outcomes. Further research should focus on enhancing the current understanding of how to motivate and recruit patients in this setting. NCT04011332.

Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2023 Guidelines Reviewed.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) report is an essential resource for all clinicians who strive to provide optimal care to patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). The annual report of GOLD makes few revisions and updates besides including data from the preceding year. At an interval, GOLD comes up with a significant modification in its guidelines, which is generally a major overhaul of the pre-existing guidelines. According to the latest 2023 updates, published in November 2022, there have been significant advancements made in the field of COPD. These include the development of more precise definitions for COPD and its exacerbations, the introduction of a new set of parameters to measure exacerbation severity, and updating the COPD assessment tool. Additionally, revisions have been made to the initial and follow-up treatment guidelines. The report also simplifies the treatment algorithm and sheds light on new findings that suggest the use of pharmacological triple therapy can reduce mortality rates. Furthermore, the report includes discussions on inhaler device selection and adherence to COPD medications. These improvements demonstrate a continued effort to enhance COPD treatment and management. Although there are some areas that could benefit from more detailed guidance and explanation, such as the proper utilization of blood eosinophil counts for treatment decisions, and the establishment of treatment protocols post-hospitalization, the latest modifications to the GOLD recommendations will undoubtedly aid healthcare providers in addressing any gaps in patient care. We aim to highlight key changes in the GOLD 2023 report and present a viewpoint about their potential implications in a real-world clinical scenario.

Prospective study of hyperglycemia and its impact on the causation of severe exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients attending a tertiary care hospital

Background: Hyperglycemic states are always associated with sudden onset of illnesses of both infectious and non-infectious nature. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic, lifelong suffering illness with sudden exacerbations. Objectives: To compare the affiliation of hyperglycemia with the chance of sudden exacerbations in sufferers with an established diagnosis of obstructive airway disease (COPD). Materials Methods: A total of 263 patients with an established diagnosis of COPD were taken into this observational study. The duration of the study extended between Jan. 2022 to July 2023. Sufferers were divided into 3 classes following the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association; those classes were: low HbA1c level class (n=102), moderate HbA1c level (n=83), and severe HbA1c level (n=74). Results: Among the 263 participants, 72 (27.4%) suffered severe exacerbation. The share of sufferers tormented by a minimum of one episode of intense and sudden exacerbation becomes extensively higher among participants with high (36.3%) and moderate HbA1c levels (24.7%) when compared with low HbA1c levels (22.6%). On the MCRA, high HbA1c levels (HR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.92–4.31; P&amp;lt;0.01) and moderate HbA1c levels (HR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.64–3.29; P&amp;lt;0.01). Participants with hyperglycemia were significantly associated with a higher risk of the next severe exacerbation compared with a euglycemic state. Conclusion: irrespective of current/previously established diagnosis of diabetes, hyperglycemic states are associated with a higher risk of severe exacerbation in patients with COPD.

Impact of COPD on mortality: An 8-year observational retrospective healthcare claims database cohort study

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Here we present a large observational study on the association of COPD and exacerbations with mortality (AvoidEx Mortality). MethodsA real-world, observational cohort study with longitudinal analyses of German healthcare claims data in patients ≥40 years of age with a COPD diagnosis from 2011 to 2018 (n = 250,723) was conducted. Patients entered the cohort (index date) upon the first COPD diagnosis. To assess the impact of COPD on all-cause death, a propensity score-matched control group of non-COPD patients was constructed. The number and severity of exacerbations during a 12-month pre-index period were used to form subgroups. For each exacerbation subgroup the exacerbations during 12 months prior to death were analysed. ResultsCOPD increases the all-cause mortality risk by almost 60% (HR 1.57 (95% CI 1.55–1.59)) in comparison to matched non-COPD controls, when controlling for other baseline covariates. The cumulative risk of death after 8 years was highest in patients with a history of more than one moderate or severe exacerbation. Among all deceased COPD patients, 17.2% had experienced a severe, and 34.8% a moderate exacerbation, within 3 months preceding death. Despite increasing exacerbation rates towards death, more than the half of patients were not receiving any recommended pharmacological COPD therapy in the year before death. ConclusionOur study illustrates the impact of COPD on mortality risk and highlights the need for consequent COPD management comprising exacerbation assessment and treatment.

Mild asthma: Conundrums, complexities and the need to customize care.

Mild and moderate asthma cover a wide range of asthma presentations, phenotypes and symptom burden, and account for the majority of people with asthma worldwide. Mild asthma has been difficult to define because of its heterogeneity and wide spectrum of impact and outcomes, including being associated with severe exacerbations. Assessment of mild-moderate asthma is best made by combining asthma symptom control and exacerbation risk as the principle means by which to determine treatment needs. Incontrovertible evidence and guidelines support treatment initiation with anti-inflammatory medication, completely avoiding reliever-only treatment of mild asthma. Shared decision making with patients and a treatable traits approach will ensure that a holistic approach is taken to maximize patient outcomes. Most importantly, mild asthma should be regarded as a reversible, potentially curable condition, remaining in long-term remission through minimizing triggers and optimizing care.

Association of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Promoter Polymorphisms With Asthma Risk.

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression has been documented as an influential contributor to the intricate milieu of allergic airway inflammation, tissue remodeling, and the exacerbation of asthma's severity. However, the genetic role underlying MMP-1 in the context of asthma has remained enigmatic, with its full implications yet to be unveiled. Considering this, our research was designed to investigate the association of MMP-1 -1607 rs1799750 and the propensity for asthma severity. As a case-control investigation, our study enrolled 198 individuals diagnosed with asthma and age- and sex-matched 453 non-asthmatic controls. The genotypes of MMP-1 rs1799750 were determined utilizing the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. The frequency distributions of 2G/2G, 1G/2G and 1G/1G genotypes at MMP-1 rs1799750 were 49, 42.9, and 8.1%, respectively, among the patients with asthma. This pattern was not different from that of controls (43.7, 46.8, and 9.5%, respectively) (p for trend=0.4486). The allelic frequency pertaining to the variant 1G allele within the asthma group was 29.5%, with a non-significant disparity compared to the 32.9% in the control group (p=0.2596). Noticeably, there was a positive association between MMP-1 rs1799750 2G/1G and 1G/1G genotypes with asthma severity (p=0.0060). Our research indicated that the presence of MMP-1 rs1799750 1G allele might not be the sole arbiter of an individual's susceptibility to asthma, yet its potential to function as a discerning prognostic marker for the severity of asthma emerged as a noteworthy finding deserving attention and further exploration.

Can the Rome classification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation severity be applied in the hospital setting?

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations (ECOPDs) are crucial events in the natural history of the disease. The recent Rome proposal defines exacerbations and their grade of severity using objective parameters derived from published data. AimsA) To evaluate the applicability of the Rome proposal in current clinical practice in different hospitals settings, B) to compare the resulting degree of severity with the conventional non-objective classification, C) to evaluate the relationship between ECOPD severity and mortality and D) the outputs in different hospital specialist wards. MethodsObservational retrospective study in patients admitted to the University Hospital of Ferrara (Italy) with a primary diagnosis of ECOPD in the year 2021. The items of severity of the Rome proposal at admission were acquired from clinical records. A clinical-based score surrogated the missing VAS data on dyspnoea. ResultsData were collected at admission form 320 patients. The data collected allowed the classification of severity based on the Rome proposal in 88.5 % of eligible cases. 18.5 %, 50.5 % and 31 % of ECOPD admissions were categorised as mild, moderate or severe ECOPDs respectively. In-hospital mortality increased with the ECOPD severity and mortality at 12 months was 27 % and 53.2 % in patients who have had a mild vs severe ECOPD, respectively (p = 0.059). Severe ECOPDs were more frequent and mortality rate was lower in patients admitted to Respiratory as compared to Internal Medicine wards. ConclusionThe Rome classification is ready to use in hospitalised ECOPD. It could allow for a better identification of the hospital setting most appropriate for ECOPD management.