cardiovascular-agents and Pulmonary-Disease--Chronic-Obstructive

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Cardiovascular Diseases (CV) Often Coexist. COPD and CVD are complex diseases characterized by a strict interaction between environment and genetic. The mechanisms linking these two diseases are complex, multifactorial and not entirely understood, influencing the therapeutic approach. COPD is characterized by several comorbidities, it hypothesized the treatment of cardiovascular co-morbidities that may reduce morbidity and mortality. Flavonoids are an important class of plant low molecular weight Secondary Metabolites (SMs). Convincing data from laboratory, epidemiological, and human clinical studies point the important effects on CVD risk prevention.. This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the ability of Flavonoids to reduce the CVD risk.. Current studies support the potential of Flavonoids to prevent the risk of CVD. Well-designed clinical studies are suggested to evaluate advantages and limits of Flavonoids for managing CVD comorbidity in COPD.

Topics: Animals; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Flavonoids; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently occur together and their coexistence is associated with worse outcomes than either condition alone. Pathophysiological links between COPD and CVD include lung hyperinflation, systemic inflammation and COPD exacerbations. COPD treatments may produce beneficial cardiovascular (CV) effects, such as long-acting bronchodilators, which are associated with improvements in arterial stiffness, pulmonary vasoconstriction, and cardiac function. However, data are limited regarding whether these translate into benefits in CV outcomes. Some studies have suggested that treatment with long-acting β

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular System; Comorbidity; Female; Humans; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Respiratory System Agents; Risk Factors

Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two common, heterogeneous, long-term illnesses which cause significant morbidity and mortality. Although they both present with breathlessness, they are treated differently. Treatment of COPD focuses mainly on relieving short-term breathlessness, whilst treatment of HF has focused on long term morbidity and mortality. Areas covered: In this review, we aim to highlight the diagnostic challenges in distinguishing COPD from HF. We also explore the implications of their overlap, and the use of biomarkers and treatments for HF in patients with COPD to improve long-term outcomes. Expert commentary: Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality amongst patients with COPD is substantial. Approaches which identify patients with COPD at highest cardiovascular risk may therefore be helpful. A trial targeting those patients with COPD and raised natriuretic peptide levels might be the way to test whether cardiovascular medication has anything to offer the respiratory patient.

Topics: Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptides; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Risk Factors

Ivabradine is a blocker of the funny current channels in the sinoatrial node cells. This results in pure heart rate reduction when elevated without direct effect on contractility or on the vessels. It was tested in a large outcome clinical trial in stable chronic heart failure (CHF) with low ejection fraction, in sinus rhythm, on a contemporary background therapy including betablockers (SHIFT: Systolic Heart Failure Treatment with the If inhibitor Trial).The primary composite endpoint (cardiovascular mortality or heart failure hospitalization) was reduced by 18% whereas the first occurrence of heart failure hospitalizations was reduced by 26%. The effect was of greater magnitude in patients with baseline heart rate ≥75 beats per minute. Ivabradine improved also the quality of life and induced a reverse remodelling.The safety was overall good with an increase in (a)symptomatic bradycardia and visual side effects.The efficacy and tolerability were similar to those observed in the overall trial in subgroups with diabetes mellitus, low systolic blood pressure (SBP), renal dysfunction or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Ivabradine is indicated in CHF with systolic dysfunction, in patients in sinus rhythm with a heart rate ≥75 bpm in combination with standard therapy including betablocker therapy or when betablocker therapy is contraindicated or not tolerated (European Medicine Agency).

Topics: Benzazepines; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Diabetes Mellitus; Heart Failure; Hemodynamics; Hospitalization; Humans; Hypotension; Ivabradine; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Quality of Life; Renal Insufficiency; Treatment Outcome

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently accompanied by multimorbidities in affected patients. Even though the majority of these comorbidities are also related to advanced age and cigarette smoke, also COPD itself has significant impact on insurgence, or worsening of these conditions. As a consequence, COPD is regarded as a complex disease with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary involvement. According to current guidelines for the management of COPD patients, the comprehensive treatment of this condition should target respiratory symptoms as well as comorbidities. Cardiovascular disease is one of the most frequent comorbidities in COPD patients and there are several strategies for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in COPD patients. These include smoking cessation, pharmacologic prevention of cardiovascular disease, and the treatment of COPD. Beta-blockers for the prevention of cardiovascular disease have been traditionally limited in COPD patients, albeit current evidence supporting their efficacy and safety in these patients. With regard to COPD medications, corticosteroids are generally not recommended, except for exacerbations, while long-acting beta2-agonists have demonstrated an acceptable profile of cardiovascular safety. Long-acting anticholinergic bronchodilators, in particular tiotropium in the mist inhaler formulation, have been associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events and mortality. Data on this issue remain, however, controversial. Glycopyrronium, a recently introduced anticholinergic, demonstrated. a rapid and sustained relief of respiratory symptoms with a favorable safety profile and no increase in cardiovascular risk, in monotherapy and in combination with a long-acting beta2-agonist in a comprehensive trial program indicating a valid option for COPD patients with CV comorbidities.

Topics: Bronchodilator Agents; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Comorbidity; Humans; Life Style; Patient Selection; Prognosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk Reduction Behavior; Smoking; Smoking Cessation

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and heart failure (HF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often concomitant because they share both risk factors (smoke) and pathological pathways (systemic inflammation). Cardiovascular disease and COPD association is increasing overtime. Several registries clearly showed a negative impact on the clinical outcome of the concomitant presence of CVD and COPD. Patients with CVD and COPD present an increased risk for myocardial infarction, HF, and hospital admission for acute exacerbation of COPD, with a negative impact on prognosis. To reduce the effect of this negative association, it is of paramount importance the pharmacological treatment with both cardiovascular and respiratory drugs, according to current guidelines. Nevertheless, several registries and studies showed that evidence-based drugs (both cardiovascular and respiratory) are often under administered in this subset of patients. In this overview, we summarize the available data regarding the use of cardiovascular drugs (antiplatelet agents, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, and statins) in COPD patients, with or without concomitant IHD. Furthermore, we report advantages and disadvantages of respiratory drugs (β2 agonists, anti-cholinergics, and corticosteroids) administration in COPD patients with CVD.

Topics: Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Registries

Although primarily a lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now recognized to have extrapulmonary effects on distal organs, the so-called systemic effects and comorbidities of COPD. Skeletal muscle dysfunction, nutritional abnormalities including weight loss, cardiovascular complications, metabolic complications, and osteoporosis, among others, are all well-recognized associations in COPD. These extrapulmonary effects add to the burden of mortality and morbidity in COPD and therefore should be actively looked for, assessed, and treated.

Topics: Anemia; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Muscular Atrophy; Osteoporosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and anemia are comorbidities with a high prevalence and impact in heart failure (HF). The presence of these comorbidities considerably worsens the prognosis of HF. Diabetic patients have a higher likelihood of developing symptoms of HF and both the treatment of diabetes and that of acute HF are altered by the coexistence of both entities. The glycemic targets in patients with acute HF are not well-defined, but could show a U-shaped relationship. Stress hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients with HF could also have a deleterious effect on the medium-term prognosis. The inter-relationship between COPD and HF hampers diagnosis due to the overlap between the symptoms and signs of both entities and complementary investigations. The treatment of acute HF is also altered by the presence of COPD. Anemia is highly prevalent and is often the direct cause of decompensated HF, the most common cause being iron deficiency anemia. Iron replacement therapy, specifically intravenous forms, has helped to improve the prognosis of acute HF.

Topics: Acute Disease; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Cardio-Renal Syndrome; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Diabetes Complications; Diuretics; Heart Failure; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hypoglycemic Agents; Iron; Noninvasive Ventilation; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Prognosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly associated with heart failure (HF) in clinical practice since they share the same pathogenic mechanism. Both conditions incur significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the prognosis of COPD and HF combined is poorer than for either disease alone. Nevertheless, usually only one of them is diagnosed. An active search for each condition using clinical examination and additional tests including plasma natriuretic peptides, lung function testing, and echocardiography should be obtained. The combination of COPD and HF presents many therapeutic challenges. The beneficial effects of selective β1-blockers should not be denied in stable patients who have HF and coexisting COPD. Additionally, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin-receptor blockers may reduce the morbidity and mortality of COPD patients. Moreover, caution is advised with use of inhaled β2-agonists for the treatment of COPD in patients with HF. Finally, noninvasive ventilation, added to conventional therapy, improves the outcome of patients with acute respiratory failure due to hypercapnic exacerbation of COPD or HF in situations of acute pulmonary edema. The establishment of a combined and integrated approach to managing these comorbidities would seem an appropriate strategy. Additional studies providing new data on the pathogenesis and management of patients with COPD and HF are needed, with the purpose of trying to improve quality of life as well as survival of these patients.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists; Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Contraindications; Disease Management; Echocardiography; Heart Failure; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Natriuretic Peptides; Noninvasive Ventilation; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Respiratory Function Tests

Cardiovascular disease is a major co-morbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and is a predictor of all-cause mortality. This paper reviews the study design and data analyses of observational studies of cardiovascular drug effects in patients with COPD and evaluates the potential for bias on the validity of their findings. Three recent observational studies of statin use in the setting of COPD show surprisingly high efficacy results which, by their magnitude, demand closer analysis. Such analysis reveals that immortal time and immeasurable time biases likely accounted for dramatic findings of reduced mortality with aggressive treatment for cardiovascular disease. After removing these sources of bias, the effects are mitigated or may disappear entirely. Investigation of methods and results in the statin studies reviewed in this article reveals significant bias that has skewed the results of these early studies. Correcting these methodological flaws with proper statistical analysis may attenuate or even eliminate these apparent benefits.

Topics: Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

This review concerns peculiarities of pharmacotherapy for patients with concomitant coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It describes the main pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of cholinolytics, beta-agonists, methylxanthines, corticosteroids, antibiotics, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, nitrates, and anti-aggregants. These data are used to substantiate the application of these drugs to the treatment of overlapping pathologies with special reference to concomitant coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Topics: Cardiovascular Agents; Coronary Disease; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Respiratory System Agents

Chronic cardiopulmonary disease typically induces and maintains (over)activation of several phylogenetically old adaptational and defensive mechanisms. Activation was usually needed for a limited period during acute danger or injury. In chronic disease conditions, however, those mechanisms are kept activated for longer periods. Eventually, irreversible damage is done and this contributes to impaired function and worse prognosis in a variety of chronic disease. Landmark trials in chronic heart failure have provided robust evidence for prognostic benefit for neurohormonal antagonists. Retrospective and epidemiological data for their beneficial effect in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease begin to accumulate and new fields (e.g. cancer and stroke) could be pending in the future.

Topics: Cachexia; Cardiovascular Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Comorbidity; Heart Failure; Humans; Inflammation; Neurotransmitter Agents; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Renin-Angiotensin System; Risk Factors; Stroke

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with long-term all-cause death after percutaneous coronary intervention with bare-metal stents. Regarding other outcomes, previous studies have shown conflicting results and the impact of drug-eluting stent (DES) in this population is not well known. We analyzed 4,605 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with bare-metal stents (33.1%) or DES (66.9%) from the Basel Stent Kosten-Effektivitats Trial-Prospective Validation Examination trials I and II. COPD patients (n = 283, 6.1%), were older and had more frequently a smoking or cardiovascular event history. At 2-year follow-up, cumulative event rates for patients with versus without COPD were the following: major adverse cardiac events (MACE: composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization): 15.2% versus 8.1% (p <0.001); all-cause death: 11.7% versus 2.4% (p <0.001); cardiac death: 5.7% versus 1.2% (p <0.001); myocardial infarction: 3.5% versus 1.9% (p = 0.045); definite/probable/possible stent thrombosis: 2.5% versus 0.9% (p = 0.01); and major bleeding: 4.2% versus 2.1% (p = 0.014). After adjusting for confounders including smoking status, COPD remained an independent predictor for MACE (hazard ratio [HR] 1.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31 to 2.49), all-cause death (HR 3.62, 95% CI 2.41 to 5.45), cardiac death (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.74 to 5.60), and stent thrombosis (HR 2.39, 95% CI 1.03 to 5.54). We did not find evidence of an interaction between COPD and DES implantation (p for interaction = 0.29) for MACE. In conclusion, COPD is associated with increased 2-year rates of all-cause death, cardiac death, and stent thrombosis after stent implantation. DES use appears to be beneficial also in patients with COPD.

Topics: Aged; Cardiovascular Agents; Coronary Disease; Coronary Thrombosis; Drug-Eluting Stents; Female; Graft Occlusion, Vascular; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Risk Factors; Stents; Treatment Outcome

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification could predict mortality risk factors and whether baseline treatment intensity would relate to mortality within each group, using data from TIOSPIR(®), the largest randomized clinical trial in COPD performed to date.. A total of 17,135 patients from TIOSPIR(®) were pooled and grouped by GOLD grading (A-D) according to baseline Medical Research Council breathlessness score, exacerbation history, and spirometry. All-cause mortality and adjudicated cardiovascular (CV) and respiratory mortality were assessed.. Of the 16,326 patients classified, 1,248 died on treatment. Group B patients received proportionally more CV treatment at baseline. CV mortality risk, but not all-cause mortality risk, was significantly higher in Group B than Group C patients (CV mortality - hazard ratio [HR] =1.74, P=0.004; all-cause mortality - HR =1.18, P=0.11). Group D patients had a higher incidence of all-cause mortality than Group B patients (10.9% vs 6.6%). Similar trends were observed regardless of respiratory or CV medication at baseline. In contrast, respiratory deaths increased consistently from Groups A-D (0.3%, 0.8%, 1.6%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively).. The data obtained from the TIOSPIR(®) trial, supporting earlier studies, suggest that proportionally more CV medication and CV deaths occur in GOLD Group B COPD patients, although deaths attributed to respiratory causes are more prevalent in Groups C and D.

Topics: Aged; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Comorbidity; Disease Progression; Dyspnea; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Outcome Assessment; Proportional Hazards Models; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Respiratory System Agents; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Spirometry; Symptom Flare Up

Increased sympathetic tone and use of bronchodilators increase heart rate and this may worsen functional capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to look at the short-term effect of the heart rate lowering drug ivabradine on clinical status in COPD patients.We randomised 80 COPD patients with sinus heart rate ≥90 bpm into either taking ivabradine 7.5 mg twice per day or placebo for two weeks. We assessed all patients using the modified Borg scale and 6-minute walk test at baseline and then again 2 weeks after randomisation.There were no significant differences in age, sex, severity of airway obstruction (measured using forceful exhalation), severity of diastolic dysfunction or pulmonary artery systolic pressure between the two groups. The ivabradine group showed significant improvement in 6-minute walk distance (from 192.6±108.8 m at baseline to 285.1±88.9 m at the end of the study) compared with the control group (230.6±68.4 at baseline and 250.4±65.8 m at the end of study) (p<0.001). This improvement in the drug group was associated with significant improvement of dyspnea on modified Borg scale (p=0.007).Lowering heart rate with ivabradine can improve exercise capacity and functional class in COPD patients with resting heart rate >90 bpm.

Topics: Aged; Benzazepines; Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular Agents; Exercise Test; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Ivabradine; Male; Middle Aged; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Severity of Illness Index; Walking

There is excess cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aortic stiffness, an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk, and systemic and airway inflammation are increased in patients with the disease. Statins modulate aortic stiffness and have anti-inflammatory properties. A proof-of-principle, double-blind, randomized trial determined if 6 weeks of simvastatin 20 mg once daily reduced aortic stiffness and systemic and airway inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.. Stable patients (n=70) were randomized to simvastatin (active) or placebo. Pre-treatment and post-treatment aortic stiffness, blood pressure, spirometry, and circulating and airway inflammatory mediators and lipids were measured. A predefined subgroup analysis was performed where baseline aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was >10 m/sec.. Total cholesterol dropped in the active group. There was no significant change in aortic PWV between the active group and the placebo group (-0.7 m/sec, P=0.24). In those with aortic stiffness >10 m/sec (n=22), aortic PWV improved in the active group compared with the placebo group (-2.8 m/sec, P=0.03). Neither systemic nor airway inflammatory markers changed.. There was a nonsignificant improvement in aortic PWV in those taking simvastatin 20 mg compared with placebo, but in those with higher baseline aortic stiffness (a higher risk group) a significant and clinically relevant reduction in PWV was shown.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Agents; Cholesterol; Double-Blind Method; England; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Inflammation Mediators; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumonia; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Pulse Wave Analysis; Simvastatin; Spirometry; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Stiffness; Vital Capacity

Incidence of chronic heart failure (HF) increases with age and cardiovascular (CV) morbidity. Co-morbidities increase hospitalization and mortality in HF, and non-CV co-morbidities may lead to preventable hospitalizations. We studied the impact of co-morbidities on mortality and morbidity in Systolic Heart Failure Treatment with the I(f) Inhibitor Ivabradine Trial, and investigated whether the impact of ivabradine was affected by co-morbidities. We analyzed the Systolic Heart Failure Treatment with the I(f) Inhibitor Ivabradine Trialpopulation, with moderate-to-severe HF and left ventricular dysfunction (in sinus rhythm with heart rate at rest ≥70 beats/min), according to co-morbidity: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, anemia, stroke, impaired renal function, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and peripheral artery disease. Co-morbidity load was classed as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4+ or 1 to 2 co-morbidities, or 3+ co-morbidities. Co-morbidities were evenly distributed between the placebo and ivabradine groups. Patients with more co-morbidities were likely to be older, women, had more advanced HF, were less likely to be on β blockers, with an even distribution on ivabradine 2.5, 5, or 7.5 mg bid and placebo at all co-morbidity loads. Number of co-morbidities was related to outcomes. Cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization events significantly increased (p <0.0001) with co-morbidity load, with the most events in patients with >3 co-morbidities for both, ivabradine and placebo. There was no interaction between co-morbidity load and the treatment effects of ivabradine. Hospitalization rate was lower at all co-morbidity loads for ivabradine. In conclusion, cardiac and noncardiac co-morbidities significantly affect CV outcomes, particularly if there are >3 co-morbidities. The effect of heart rate reduction with ivabradine is maintained at all co-morbidity loads.

Topics: Aged; Benzazepines; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; Double-Blind Method; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Global Health; Heart Failure, Systolic; Heart Rate; Humans; Incidence; Ivabradine; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome

To evaluate the effect of the I(f) channel blocker ivabradine on bronchial patency and the volume parameters of external respiration function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in remission in order to determine whether the drug may be used in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) concurrent with COPD.. Heart rate, bronchial patency, and lung volume were studied by body plethysmography in 59 patients with COPD before and 14 days after administration of ivabradine in a daily dose of 10 mg.. The I(f) channel blocker ivabradine that is a highly selective bradycardiac agent fails to affect the velocity and volume parameters of external respiration function, thus it may be used to treat CHD concurrent with COPD.. The I(f) channel blocker ivabradine exerts no effect on external respiration function parameters (bronchial patency, volume parameters) and it can find clinical use in the treatment of angina pectoris and chronic heart failure in patients with CHD concurrent with COPD.

Topics: Aged; Benzazepines; Cardiovascular Agents; Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Ivabradine; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Respiration; Respiratory Function Tests

The arrhythmogenic hazard of adenosine treatment in an emergency room (ER) has not been established. Thus, in this study, we set out to prospectively determine the prevalence and clinical consequences of the arrhythmogenic effects associated with urgent adenosine treatment in the ER. One hundred and sixty consecutive patients treated with adenosine for regular wide or narrow complex tachyarrhythmias at our ER were included in the study. An initial bolus of 3 mg of adenosine was used, up to a maximum dose of 18 mg (mode 6 mg). Proarrhythmia was defined as the new appearance of any brady- or tachyarrhythmia within 1 minute from the bolus administration of adenosine. Of the 160 study patients, 84% had narrow complex tachycardia and 16% had wide complex tachycardia. Adenosine was effective in the diagnosis and/or treatment of the underlying arrhythmia in 92%. The overall prevalence of adenosine-induced proarrhythmia was 13%, including prolonged AV block inducing asystole > 4 seconds (7%), paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (1%) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (5%). All adenosine-induced arrhythmias were transient and subsided spontaneously. It is concluded, firstly, that adenosine-induced proarrhythmia proved to be frequent in a consecutive ER series, and included potentially dangerous arrhythmias. Secondly, nevertheless, all adenosine-induced arrhythmias subsided spontaneously and did not require treatment. Therefore, urgent adenosine treatment is safe and can be recommended in an emergency setting, provided a strict protocol of administration under close monitoring by highly trained personnel.

Topics: Adenosine; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Diabetes Mellitus; Drug Therapy, Combination; Drug Tolerance; Electrocardiography; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Hyperthyroidism; Italy; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Sex Distribution; Tachycardia; Treatment Outcome

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and co-morbid cardiovascular disease, emerging evidence suggests a benefit in commencing cardioselective beta-blockers.. Our objective was to determine the safety of beta-blocker commencement during hospitalisation for acute exacerbation of COPD.. A retrospective cohort study of 1071 patients hospitalised for acute exacerbation of COPD was conducted across two tertiary hospitals over a 12-month period. We identified 36 patients in whom beta-blocker therapy was commenced during admission. The primary outcome of the study was to assess cardiovascular and respiratory adverse events related to the commencement of beta-blocker therapy.. The most common indications for beta-blockers were atrial fibrillation (53%) and acute coronary syndrome (36%). Metoprolol was the most commonly prescribed beta-blocker (75%). No patients suffered clinically significant declines of respiratory function following the commencement of a beta-blocker, including worsening respiratory symptoms, oxygen, bronchodilator or ventilation requirements. These results were demonstrable in patients with reversible airways disease and advanced COPD. Only one patient (2.8%) experienced symptomatic hypotension after 48 h of therapy.. The commencement of cardioselective beta-blockers during acute exacerbations of COPD appears to be well-tolerated.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cohort Studies; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Retrospective Studies; Victoria

Topics: Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensins; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular Agents; Emphysema; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Tomography

Topics: Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensins; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular Agents; Emphysema; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Tomography

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly associated with multiple comorbidities. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of comorbidities in patients with COPD and to relate their prevalence to the severity of the disease by using a large German health care database. Based on the retrospective analysis of a two-year (2013-2014) database from the German Statutory Health Insurance system, we obtained a representative sample of 4,075,493 german insurants. This sample included 146,141 patients with COPD (age: ≥35 years). To these patients, we matched 1:1 by age and gender randomly selected non-COPD controls. We assessed the comorbidities and the use of cardiovascular drugs, and examined COPD subgroups according to lung function (ICD-10-coded FEV1) and the treatment with long-acting inhaled bronchodilators. Compared to non-COPD, patients with COPD had a higher prevalence of hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, psychiatric disease and lung cancer, and used more cardiovascular-related drugs. However, the prevalence of comorbidities did not correlate to the severity of airflow limitation. The results of this sizeable nationwide survey support the concept that individuals with COPD need careful evaluation regarding comorbidities. This can already be of relevance in patients with mild to moderate airflow limitation.. Comorbidities in COPD have a complex relationship with disease severity, requiring a comprehensive therapy approach.

Topics: Aged; Bronchodilator Agents; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Comorbidity; Diabetes Mellitus; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Gastroesophageal Reflux; Germany; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis; Prevalence; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index

Episodic breathlessness is a relevant aspect in patients with advanced cancer.. The aim of this study was to assess the different aspects of this clinical phenomenon.. A consecutive sample of patients with advanced cancer admitted to different settings for a period of six months was surveyed. The presence of background breathlessness and episodic breathlessness, their intensity (numerical scale 0-10), and drugs used for treatment were collected. Factors inducing episodic breathlessness and its influence on daily activities were investigated.. Of 921 patients, 29.3% (n = 269) had breathlessness and 134 patients (49.8%) were receiving drugs for background breathlessness. In the multivariate analysis, the risk of breathlessness increased with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, although it decreased in patients receiving disease-oriented therapy and patients with gastrointestinal tumors. The prevalence of episodic breathlessness was 70.9% (n = 188), and its mean intensity was 7.1 (SD 1.6). The mean duration of untreated episodic breathlessness was 19.9 minutes (SD 35.3); 41% of these patients were receiving drugs for episodic breathlessness. The majority of episodic breathlessness events (88.2%) were triggered by activity. In the multivariate analysis, higher Karnofsky Performance Status levels were significantly related to episodic breathlessness, although patients receiving disease-oriented therapy were less likely to have episodic breathlessness.. This study showed that episodic breathlessness frequently occurs in patients with breathlessness in the advanced stage of disease, has a severe intensity, and is characterized by rapid onset and short duration, which require rapid measures.

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Dyspnea; Female; Humans; Karnofsky Performance Status; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasms; Palliative Care; Prevalence; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Time Factors

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have increased mortality following myocardial infarction (MI) compared with patients without COPD. We investigated the extent to which differences in recognition and management after MI could explain the mortality difference.. 300 161 patients with a first MI between 2003 and 2013 were identified in the UK Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project database. Logistic regression was used to compare mortality in hospital and at 180 days postdischarge between patients with and without COPD. Variables relating to inhospital factors (delay in diagnosis, use of reperfusion and time to reperfusion/use of angiography) and use of secondary prevention were sequentially added to models.. Mortality was higher for patients with COPD both inhospital (4.6% vs 3.2%) and at 180 days (12.8% vs 7.7%). After adjusting for inhospital factors, the effect of COPD on inhospital mortality after MI was reduced for both ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) and non-STEMIs (STEMIs OR 1.24 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.41) to 1.13 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.29); non-STEMIs OR 1.34 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.45) to 1.16 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.26)). Adjusting for inhospital factors reduced the effect of COPD on mortality after non-STEMI at 180 days (OR 1.56 (95% CI 1.47 to 1.65) to 1.37 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.44)). Adjusting for use of secondary prevention also reduced the effect of COPD on mortality at 180 days for STEMIs and non-STEMIs (STEMIs OR 1.45 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.61) to 1.25 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.41); non-STEMIs OR 1.37 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.44) to 1.26 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.35).. Delayed diagnosis, timing and use of reperfusion of a STEMI, use of angiography after a non-STEMI and use of secondary prevention medicines are all potential explanations for the mortality gap after MI in people with COPD.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cardiovascular Agents; Comorbidity; Coronary Angiography; Delayed Diagnosis; Female; Healthcare Disparities; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical Audit; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Reperfusion; Odds Ratio; Predictive Value of Tests; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Registries; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Secondary Prevention; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; United Kingdom

The ratio of revascularization to medical therapy (referred to herein as the revascularization ratio) for the initial treatment of stable ischemic heart disease varies considerably across hospitals. We conducted a comprehensive study to identify patient, physician and hospital factors associated with variations in the revascularization ratio across 18 cardiac centres in the province of Ontario. We also explored whether clinical outcomes differed between hospitals with high, medium and low ratios.. We identified all patients in Ontario who had stable ischemic heart disease documented by index angiography performed between Oct. 1, 2008, and Sept. 30, 2011, at any of the 18 cardiac centres in the province. We classified patients by initial treatment strategy (medical therapy or revascularization). Hospitals were classified into equal tertiles based on their revascularization ratio. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Patient follow-up was until Dec. 31, 2012. Hierarchical logistic regression models identified predictors of revascularization. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, with a time-varying covariate for actual treatment received, were used to evaluate the impact of the revascularization ratio on clinical outcomes.. Variation in revascularization ratios was twofold across the hospitals. Patient factors accounted for 67.4% of the variation in revascularization ratios. Physician and hospital factors were not significantly associated with the variation. Significant patient-level predictors of revascularization were history of smoking, multivessel disease, high-risk findings on noninvasive stress testing and more severe symptoms of angina (v. no symptoms). Treatment at hospitals with a high revascularization ratio was associated with increased mortality compared with treatment at hospitals with a low ratio (hazard ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.21).. Most of the variation in revascularization ratios across hospitals was warranted, in that it was driven by patient factors. Nonetheless, the variation was associated with potentially important differences in mortality.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Angina, Stable; Cardiovascular Agents; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Bypass; Databases, Factual; Diabetes Mellitus; Exercise Test; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Income; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocardial Revascularization; Ontario; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Peripheral Vascular Diseases; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Proportional Hazards Models; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Severity of Illness Index; Smoking

Acute aortic dissection (AD) is a catastrophic condition associated with a high rate of mortality. However, current epidemiological information regarding AD remains sparse. The objective of the present study was to investigate the current epidemiological profile and medication utilization patterns associated with aortic dissection in Taiwan.In this population-based study, we identified cases of AD diagnosed during 2005 to 2012 in the complete Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database. Patients with AD were identified using the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 441.0, and surgical interventions were defined using NHI procedure codes.A total of 9092 individuals with a mean age of 64.4 ± 15.1 years were identified. The cases were divided into 3 groups: Group A included 2340 patients (25.74%) treated surgically for type A AD; Group B included 1144 patients (12.58%) treated surgically for type B AD, and Group C included 5608 patients (61.68%) with any type of AD treated with medical therapy only. The average annual incidence of AD was 5.6 per 100,000 persons, and the average prevalence was 19.9 per 100,000 persons. Hypertension was the most common risk factor, followed by coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Within 1 year of AD diagnosis, 92% of patients were taking antihypertensive medication. Calcium channel blockers were the most frequently prescribed antihypertensive medication for long-term observation in Taiwan.The annual trends revealed statistically significant increases in the numbers and percentages of prevalence, incidence, and mortality. Changes in patients' drug utilization in patterns were observed after AD diagnosis. Our study provides a local profile that supports further in-depth analyses in AD-affected populations.

Topics: Aged; Aortic Dissection; Aortic Rupture; Cardiovascular Agents; Coronary Artery Disease; Disease Management; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Taiwan

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disorder associated with impaired quality of life, high morbidity, mortality and frequent hospitalization and affects millions of people from all around the world. Despite further improvements in HF therapy, mortality and morbidity remains to be very high. The life-long treatment, frequent hospitalization, and sophisticated and very expensive device therapies for HF also leads a substantial economic burden on the health care system. Therefore, implementation of evidence-based guideline-recommended therapy is very important to overcome its worse clinical outcomes. However, HF therapy is a long process that has many drawbacks and sometimes HF guidelines cannot answers to every question which rises in everyday clinical practice. In this paper, commonly encountered questions, overlooked points, controversial issues, management strategies in grey zone and problems arising during follow up of a HF patient in real life clinical practice have been addressed in the form of expert opinions based on the available data in the literature.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Aged; Anemia; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiovascular Agents; Chronic Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Diuretics; Evidence-Based Medicine; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Male; Middle Aged; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Turkey

This observational study aimed to identify clinical variables and health system characteristics associated with incomplete guideline application in drug treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) across 15 countries.. Three data sets were used: European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Registry, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Health System Characteristics Survey, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Health Statistics 2013. Patient and country variables were examined by multilevel, multiple logistic regression. The study population consisted of ambulatory patients with chronic HF and reduced ejection fraction. Inappropriateness of prescription of pharmacological treatments was defined as patients not prescribed at least one of the two recommended treatments (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers and beta-blockers) or treated with both medications but at suboptimal dosage and in absence of documented contraindication/intolerance.. Of 4605 patients, 1097 (23.8%) received inappropriate drug prescriptions with a large variation within and across countries, with 18.5% of the total variability accounted for by between-country health structure characteristics. Patient-level characteristics such as having mitral regurgitation (odds ratio 1.4; 95% confidence interval 1.1-1.7) was significantly associated with inappropriate prescription of recommended drugs, whereas chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio 0.7; 95% confidence interval 0.5-0.9) was associated with more appropriate prescriptions. Among the country-level variables, incentives or obligation to comply with guidelines increased the probability of prescription appropriateness.. Combining clinical variables with health system characteristics is a promising exercise to explain the appropriateness of recommended drug prescriptions. Such an understanding can help decision makers to design more effective policies to improve adherence to guidelines, improve health care outcomes, and potentially reduce costs.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Aged; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Cardiovascular Agents; Chronic Disease; Drug Utilization; Female; Guideline Adherence; Health Services Accessibility; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Quality of Health Care; Registries; Stroke Volume

To determine the prevalence and analyze the most relevant clinical characteristics of three clinical phenotypes of COPD: emphysema (type 1), chronic bronchitis (type 2) or COPD-asthma (type 3).. Observational, multicenter study performed with 331 COPD patients recruited in pulmonology outpatient services. The stratification in three phenotypes was performed with imaging tests, pulmonary function, and a standardized clinical questionnaire.. The 43.2% presented an emphysematous phenotype, 44.7% were chronic bronchitic and the other 12.1% presented a phenotype showing mixed characteristics with asthma. There were no significant differences in the smoking level, in the gasometric values or time of disease evolution. Type 1 patients showed lower FEV1 values in comparison with types 2 and 3, 46.6% (21.1), 55.2% (21.2) and 54.4% (21.8), respectively (p < 0.05), and greater levels of dyspnea (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the percentage of patients who had at least one exacerbation in the last year (68.8%, 63.9%, 64.9%; p = 0.25), in the number of exacerbations (p = 0.56), in the number of visits to the ER (total and due to COPD), or in the number of hospital admittances. Type 2 patients showed a greater prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities and of sleep apnea syndrome (4.9%, 23.6% and 12.5%, respectively, p < 0.001).. In COPD, emphysematous patients present worse pulmonary function and greater dyspnea, although there were no differences in the use of hospital health care resources. The greater comorbidity in Group 2 patients may require specific strategies in this subgroup of patients.

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Asthma; Bronchitis; Cardiovascular Agents; Chronic Disease; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyspnea; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Health Services; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phenotype; Prevalence; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Pulmonary Emphysema; Quality of Life; Spain

β-Adrenergic antagonist (β-blocker) use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been avoided as a result of potential risk of pulmonary adverse effects. However, recent studies indicate that β-blocker use in patients with COPD can decrease outpatient visits and either decrease or have no effect on the number of hospitalizations. Long-term treatment with β-blockers has been shown to increase survival and decrease exacerbations in patients with COPD.. To assess the impact of β-blocker use on the incidence of exacerbations in patients with COPD.. In a retrospective cohort study of patients with COPD from 2 academic primary care practice sites who were seen in 2010, patients were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification codes for COPD and reviewing active medication lists for COPD-specific medications (tiotropium). Patients were classified as either a β-blocker user or a nonuser. Primary outcomes were incidence and severity of COPD exacerbations. Secondary outcomes included COPD exacerbations distinguished by β-blocker cardioselectivity and all-cause hospitalizations.. The study enrolled 412 patients. Of those, 166 patients were β-blocker users and 246 were β-blocker nonusers. β-Blocker users were less likely to have a COPD exacerbation (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.93) and had fewer mild exacerbations (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.34-0.89). There was no significant difference in COPD exacerbations based on β-blocker cardioselectivity (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.38-1.83). When controlled for, using a backwards stepwise logistic regression, β-blocker use was a variable in the model that predicted exacerbations but alone was not statistically significant (adjusted OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39-1.01).. Patients with COPD prescribed a β-blocker were significantly less likely to have a COPD exacerbation and had fewer mild COPD exacerbations.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Aged; Bronchodilator Agents; Cardiovascular Agents; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index

Cardiovascular drugs may improve survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, previous studies did not account for major sources of bias, and drug effects have not been evaluated in severe COPD.. To estimate the time-dependent effects of cardiovascular drugs on survival in oxygen-dependent COPD, accounting for immortal and immeasurable time bias.. Prospective national study of patients starting long-term oxygen therapy for COPD in Sweden between 1 October 2005 and 30 June 2009. Effects on mortality were estimated using extended Cox regression adjusted for age, sex, PaO2, PaCO2, World Health Organization performance status, body mass index, comorbidity, and concomitant medications. Immortal and immeasurable time bias was addressed by analyzing all medications as time-dependent variables and accounting for hospitalized time, respectively.. Time-dependent effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, antiplatelet drugs, β-blockers, and statins on all-cause mortality were measured. Of the 2,249 included patients, 1,129 (50%) died under observation. No patient was lost to follow-up. The adjusted time-dependent model was compatible with reduced mortality for antiplatelet drugs (hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75-0.99; P = 0.030) and trends for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.79-1.04; P = 0.166) and statins (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.72-1.03; P = 0.105), whereas β-blockers increased mortality (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.04-1.37; P = 0.010).. This study supports that antiplatelet drugs improve survival and β-blockers decrease survival in oxygen-dependent COPD.

Topics: Aged; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cause of Death; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Sweden

The objective of this study is to analyze the clinical characteristics of two COPD patient populations: one diagnosed using the lower limit of normal (LLN) and another diagnosed by the GOLD criteria. We also compared the population excluded by the LLN criterion with a non-COPD control population. The COPD patients determined with the LLN criterion presented significantly lower levels of FEV1/FVC at 0.55 (0.8) vs. 0.66 (0.2), P=.000; FEV1 44.9% (14) vs. 53.8% (13), P=.000, and FVC 64.7% (17) vs. 70.4% p 0.04. The two COPD groups presented more frequent ER visits in the last year (57% and 52% of the patients, respectively, compared with 11.9% of the control group), without any statistically significant differences between the two. This same pattern was observed in the number of ER visits in the last year: 1.98 (1.6), 1.84 (1.5) and 1.18 (0.7), respectively. When we analyzed the prevalence of the comorbidities that are most frequently associated COPD, there was a clear increase in the percentage of patients who presented associated disorders compared with the control group. Nevertheless, these differences were not very relevant between the two COPD groups. The differences also were not relevant between both COPD groups in the pharmacological prescription profile. In conclusion, the use of the LLN as a criterion for establishing the diagnosis of COPD, compared with the GOLD criteria, excludes a population with important clinical manifestations and with a high consumption of health-care resources. Before its implementation, the relevance of applying this criterion in clinical practice should be analyzed.

Topics: Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Utilization; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Health Resources; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Risk Factors; Smoking; Spain; Vital Capacity

Research and practice indicate that a sizeable amount of prescribed drugs is never used.. To assess the habitual up-take of medicines in subjects with respiratory symptoms/diseases or impaired lung function in general population samples.. Data regard 4010 subjects (8-88 years) from the rural area of Po River Delta (North Italy) and the urban area of Pisa (North-Central Italy). Analyses concern the habitual use of any or specific medicines (broncho-pulmonary, anti-allergic, cardio-vascular, diuretic) in subjects with asthma, chronic bronchitis/emphysema (COPD), COPD or chronic cough/phlegm (COPDsx), and airways obstruction (AO, FEV(1)/FVC<70%).. Asthma, COPD, COPDsx, and AO were present in 6%, 5%, 21%, and 13% of cases, respectively. Only 37% and 21% of subjects with respiratory symptoms/diseases used any or specific medicines, respectively. The subjects with COPD exhibited the highest prevalence of assumption (59% for any drug, 38% for specific medicines), followed by asthmatics (42% and 30%), and subjects with AO (40% and 25%). After accounting for sex, age, residence area, smoking habit, education, and presence of comorbidity, the conditions significantly related to any medicine up-take were COPD (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08-2.53) and asthma (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.01-2.12). Only asthma resulted significantly associated with the use of specific drugs (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.94-4.97). Drug use was higher in the urban than in the rural area.. The results indicate that most people in the general population do not use drugs, in spite of reported respiratory disorders. The underuse of medicines seems lower in the urban area.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Allergic Agents; Asthma; Attitude to Health; Bronchodilator Agents; Cardiovascular Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Diuretics; Humans; Italy; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Regression Analysis; Respiration Disorders; Rural Health; Treatment Refusal

Topics: Bronchodilator Agents; Cardiovascular Agents; Drug Interactions; Drug Therapy, Combination; Heart Diseases; Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Topics: Animals; Appetite Stimulants; Cardiovascular Agents; Eating; Ghrelin; Humans; Peptide Hormones; Pulmonary Circulation; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of dry mouth and burning mouth in the frail elderly. We expected to find the studied symptoms more frequently in the frail elderly than in those who were healthier.. We examined 175 home-living elderly patients (mean age with SD, 82 +/- 5.7 years) hospitalized because of sudden worsening of their general health. For comparison, 252 elderly outpatients (mean age with SD, 77 +/- 5.7 years) from the same community were studied. The subjects' medical diagnoses and prescribed drugs used daily were recorded, their oral health examined, and saliva samples taken for analyses of flow rates, yeasts, and a variety of biochemical factors.. The results showed that 63% of the hospitalized patients and 57% of the outpatients complained of dry mouth. The respective percentages of burning mouth were 13% in the hospitalized and 18% in the outpatients. The dentate status affected the feeling of dry mouth and burning mouth, but there were no consequent differences in concentrations of salivary biochemical constituents, yeast counts, and buffering capacity between patients with or without the symptoms except that hospitalized patients complaining of dry mouth more often had low salivary buffering than those without the symptom. Dry mouth was also more prevalent among the hospitalized patients who used several drugs daily, whereas no such association was found with the burning-mouth symptom. Use of analgesics appeared to safeguard against both the symptoms. Dry mouth and burning mouth were seldom reported simultaneously, although low salivary flow rate was a common finding in patients with burning mouth. The strongest explanatory factors for burning mouth were psychiatric disease among the outpatients (OR 8.7, CI 1.4-54.1, P <.05) and use of psychiatric drugs among the hospitalized (OR 4.2, CI 0.9-20.0, P =.07). For dry mouth, the strongest explanatory factors were respiratory disease in the outpatients (OR 2.0, CI 1.0-3.8, P <.05) and low salivary flow rate in the hospitalized elderly (OR 3.7, CI 1.4-10, P <.05). In all patients (n = 427), use of psychiatric drugs was the strongest explanatory factor for dry mouth (OR 2.1, CI 1.2-3.5, P <.01), whereas analgesic medication was found to protect against burning mouth (OR 0.5, CI 0.3-0.9, P <.05).. The subjective feelings of dry mouth and burning mouth appeared to be a complex issue among the elderly population studied. The 2 symptoms were seldom reported at the same time. The appearance of symptoms did not directly correlate with general health, except in the case of psychiatric diseases and medications, which should be taken into account.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antipsychotic Agents; Burning Mouth Syndrome; Cardiovascular Agents; Female; Finland; Hospitalization; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Mental Disorders; Odds Ratio; Outpatients; Polypharmacy; Prevalence; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Self-Assessment; Xerostomia