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Comparison of cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables in COPD patients with and without coronary artery disease.

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common concomitant condition and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Since COPD and CAD can both independently cause reduced exercise capacity, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the combination of these diseases may compound the abnormalities observed during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). However, little is known about the impact of CAD on the CPET response in COPD patients. The aim of this study is to compare exercise capacity and gas exchange variables in COPD patients with and without CAD.

METHODS: Fifty-four COPD subjects without CAD (COPDnoCAD) were matched to 54 COPD subjects diagnosed with CAD (COPD/CAD) according to age, gender, body mass index and severity of COPD. All subjects underwent resting pulmonary function and symptom-limited CPET.

RESULTS: Comparing COPDnoCAD patients with COPD/CAD patients revealed that exercise capacity, as measured by % peak oxygen consumption (42 ± 16% vs 53 ± 19%, p = 0.002) and % peak wattage (23 ± 13% vs 32 ± 16%, p = 0.001), was significantly lower in COPD/CAD. Ventilatory response, as measured by VE/VCO2 nadir (36 ± 9 vs 32 ± 5, p = 0.001), was significantly higher in COPD/CAD, with % peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 nadir correlating to % FEV1 and inversely correlating with %DLCO.

CONCLUSION: COPD patients with CAD have significantly impaired CPET responses with lower exercise capacity and impaired gas exchange compared to COPD patients without CAD. These findings may affect the clinical interpretation of CPET data in COPD patients who have concomitant CAD.

Lung cancer and HIV infection.

AIDS was the cause of the majority of deaths from HIV infection before 1996 but since the introduction of antiretroviral therapies the causes of mortality have changed considerably. In 2010, 75 % of deaths were due to diseases other than AIDS, the majority being cancers.

Lung cancer is the most common in terms of both incidence and mortality. It shows specific features when compared to the general population: there is an excess risk due to heavy smoking but also probably due to immunosuppression. The age of onset is younger and the prognosis worse than in the general population. Management is difficult, partly due to the aggressive nature of the tumor and partly to co-morbidities and potential interactions between anticancer and antiretroviral therapies. A phase II therapeutic trial (IFCT-CHIVA 1001) is under way nationally.

Diagnosis and management of lower respiratory tract infections

Abstract Lower respiratory tract infections in the community lead to considerable morbidity and days off work. Our Drug review considers the assessment of disease severity, when to prescribe antibiotics and recommended management of LRTIs, followed by sources of further information. (Source: Prescriber)

Dispensation of long-acting {beta} agonists with or without inhaled corticosteroids, and risk of asthma-related hospitalisation: a population-based study

Conclusions Regular dispensation of ICS+LABA was not associated with an increased risk of asthma-related hospitalisation compared with regular dispensation of ICS alone. Adherence to ICS in patients who regularly receive ICS+LABA seems to be an important factor in the prevention of adverse asthma-related outcomes. (Source: Thorax)

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Conclusions Once-daily FF/VI reduced the risk of severe asthma exacerbations and improved lung function compared with FF alone, with good tolerability and safety profile in adolescents and adults with asthma currently receiving ICS. ClinicalTrials.gov No NCT01086384 (Source: Thorax)

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