BACKGROUND Long-acting β2-adrenoceptor agonists have been shown to increase the risk of atrial arrhythmias in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether perioperative long-acting β2-adrenoceptor agonists treatment would increase the risk of postoperative atrial arrhythmias after lung cancer surgery in chronic obstructive pulmonar...

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has defined stage I chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC)% <70% and a FEV1% predicted of >80%. Stage 2 has been defined as FEV1/FVC <70% and a FEV1% pred of <80%. The authors examined the extent of COPD misdiagnosis using this definition in healthy,...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an inflammatory disease. Together with oxidant stimuli, which directly affect lung structures, macrophages, neutrophils and CD8+ lymphocytes actively participate in the pathogenesis of the disease and promote biochemical reactions that result in progressive alteration of the upper airways and irreversible lung remodeling. The release of substances promot...

C hronic lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis, are the second leading cause of death in the world. Currently, only limited therapeutic options exist for chronic lung diseases; in particular, causative therapeutic approaches are missing. Lung transplantation remains the only available therapy for many patients with end-stage l...

STUDY OBJECTIVES In dyspneic patients without left ventricular enlargement, it may be difficult to differentiate between obstructive lung disease and diastolic heart failure. Determination of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, known to increase with ventricular stretch, may be of clinical relevance in this situation. We compared the discriminant power of BNP blood levels and of echo...

Spirometry is necessary for the diagnosis and monitoring of both obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. Today, the most rapidly growing health problem in the United States is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is now the fourth most common cause of death and the only cause of death that is rising among the top ten causes. There is also an increasing prevalence of interstitia...

BACKGROUND It is well known that inhalation of chemical warfare, mostly sulfur mustard, causes injury of the respiratory system. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common disease among these patients. Health-related quality of life is a common feature of studies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The objective of our study was to assess the quality of life in these patients. ME...