Health Behaviors and Their Correlates Among Participants in the Continuing to Confront COPD International Patient Survey

Background and aims: We used data from the Continuing to Confront COPD International Patient Survey to test the hypothesis that patients with COPD who report less engagement with their disease management are also more likely to report greater impact of the disease. Methods: This was a population-based, cross-sectional survey of 4,343 subjects aged ≥ 40 years from 12 countries, fulfilling a case definition of COPD based on self-reported physician diagnosis or symptomatology. The impact of COPD was measured with COPD Assessment Test, modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, and hospital admissions and emergency department visits for COPD in the prior year. The 13-item Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) instrument and the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) were used to measure patient disease engagement and medication adherence, respectively. Results: Twenty-eight percent of subjects reported being either disengaged or struggling with their disease (low engagement: PAM-13 levels 1 and 2), and 35% reported poor adherence (MMAS-8 \u3c 6). In univariate analyses, lower PAM-13 and MMAS-8 scores were significantly associated with poorer COPD-specific health status, greater breathlessness and lower BMI (PAM-13 only), less satisfaction with their doctor’s management of COPD, and more emergency department visits. In multivariate regression models, poor satisfaction with their doctor’s management of COPD was significantly associated with both low PAM-13 and MMAS-8 scores; low PAM-13 scores were additionally independently associated with higher COPD Assessment Test and modified Medical Research Council scores and low BMI (underweight). Conclusion: Poor patient engagement and medication adherence are frequent and associated with worse COPD-specific health status, higher health care utilization, and lower satisfaction with health care providers. More research will be needed to better understand what factors can be modified to improve medication adherence and patient engagement

Continuing to Confront COPD International Patient Survey:Economic Impact of COPD in 12 Countries

BACKGROUND:The Continuing to Confront COPD International Patient Survey estimated the prevalence and burden of COPD across 12 countries. Using data from this survey we evaluated the economic impact of COPD. METHODS:This cross-sectional, population-based survey questioned 4,343 subjects aged 40 years and older, fulfilling a case definition of COPD based on self-reported physician diagnosis or symptomatology. Direct cost measures were based on exacerbations of COPD (treated and those requiring emergency department visits and/or hospitalisation), contacts with healthcare professionals, and COPD medications. Indirect costs were calculated from work loss values using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scale. Combined direct and indirect costs estimated the total societal costs per patient. RESULTS:The annual direct costs of COPD ranged from $504 (South Korea) to$9,981 (USA), with inpatient hospitalisations (5 countries) and home oxygen therapy (3 countries) being the key drivers of direct costs. The proportion of patients completely prevented from working due to their COPD ranged from 6% (Italy) to 52% (USA and UK) with 8 countries reporting this to be ≥20%. Total societal costs per patient varied widely from $1,721 (Russia) to$30,826 (USA) but a consistent pattern across countries showed greater costs among those with increased burden of COPD (symptoms, health status and more severe disease) and a greater number of comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS:The economic burden of COPD is considerable across countries, and requires targeted resources to optimise COPD management encompassing the control of symptoms, prevention of exacerbations and effective treatment of comorbidities. Strategies to allow COPD patients to remain in work are important for addressing the substantial wider societal costs

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Explaining the rise in antidepressant prescribing: a descriptive study using the general practice research database

Objective: to explore the reasons behind the recent increase in antidepressant prescribing in the United Kingdom. Design: detailed retrospective analysis of data on general practitioner consultations and antidepressant prescribing. Data source: data were obtained from the general practice research database, which contains linked anonymised records of over 3 million patients registered in the UK. Data were extracted for all new incident cases of depression between 1993 and 2005. Review methods: detailed analysis of general practitioner consultations and antidepressant prescribing was restricted to 170 practices that were contributing data for the full duration of the study. Results: in total, 189 851 people within the general practice research database experienced their first episode of depression between 1993 and 2005, of whom 150 825 (79.4%) received a prescription for antidepressants in the first year of diagnosis. This proportion remained stable across all the years examined. The incidence of new cases of depression rose in young women but fell slightly in other groups such that overall incidence increased then declined slightly (men: 7.83 cases per 1000 patient years in 1993 to 5.97 in 2005, women: 15.83 cases per 1000 patient years in 1993 to 10.06 in 2005). Antidepressant prescribing nearly doubled during the study period—the average number of prescriptions issued per patient increased from 2.8 in 1993 to 5.6 in 2004. The majority of antidepressant prescriptions were given as long term treatment or as intermittent treatment to patients with multiple episodes of depression. Conclusions: the rise in antidepressant prescribing is mainly explained by small changes in the proportion of patients receiving long term treatment. Previous clinical guidelines have focused on antidepressant initiation and appropriate targeting of antidepressants. To address the costly rise in antidepressant prescribing, future research and guidance needs to concentrate on appropriate long term prescribing for depression and regular review of medication<br/

Assessing exercise intensity in cardiac rehabilitation: the use of a Polar heart rate monitor

Objective: To assess the accuracy of a Polar heart rate monitor in measuring heart rate in exercising cardiac rehabilitation patients. Design: Simultaneous heart rate recordings comparing results from the Polar monitor with those from Holter monitoring and intermittent pulse rate as measured by radial artery palpation. Setting: Exercise sessions in a community-based cardiac rehabilitation centre. Patients: Twenty phase III cardiac rehabilitation patients recovering from an acute cardiac event. Main outcome measures: Comparison of heart rates recorded by the two systems and by pulse rate measurement. Results: The Polar monitor gave results very similar to those from Holter monitoring. Intermittent pulse rate measurement gave a limited and less accurate view of the intensity of the exercise session. Conclusion: The Polar heart rate monitor gives accurate readings during cardiac rehabilitation exercise sessions at low cost. It is a useful tool which allows assessment of exercise intensity which is not available from intermittent radial pulse rate measurement.<br/

Incidence and risk factors for food hypersensitivity in UK infants: results from a birth cohort study

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of food hypersensitivity in the UK is still largely open to debate. Additionally its pathogenesis is also unclear although it is known that there are differing phenotypes. Determining its prevalence, along with identifying those factors associated with its development will help to assess its clinical importance within the national setting and also add to the debate on appropriate prevention strategies.METHODS: A population based birth cohort study conducted in Hampshire, UK as part of the EuroPrevall birth cohort study. 1140 infants were recruited with 823 being followed up until 2 years of age. Infants with suspected food reactions were assessed including specific IgE measurement and skin prick testing. Diagnosis of food hypersensitivity was by positive double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) where symptoms up to 48 h after the end of the food challenge were considered indicative of a food hypersensitivity. Factors associated with food hypersensitivity and its two phenotypes of IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated disease were modelled in a multivariable logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of food hypersensitivity by 2 years of age was 5.0 %. The cumulative incidence for individual food allergens were hens' egg 2.7 % (1.6-3.8); cows' milk 2.4 % (1.4-3.5); peanut 0.7 % (0.1-1.3); soy 0.4 % (0.0-0.8); wheat 0.2 % (0.0-0.5) and 0.1 % (0.0-0.32) for fish. The cumulative incidence of IgE-mediated food allergy was 2.6 % with 2.1 % reacting to hens' egg. For non-IgE-mediated food allergy the cumulative incidence was 2.4 % (cows' milk 1.7 %). Predictors for any food hypersensitivity were wheeze, maternal atopy, increasing gestational age, age at first solid food introduction and mean healthy dietary pattern score. Predictors for IgE mediated allergy were eczema, rhinitis and healthy dietary pattern score whereas for non-IgE-mediated food allergy the predictors were dog in the home, healthy dietary pattern score, maternal consumption of probiotics during breastfeeding and age at first solid food introduction.CONCLUSIONS: Just under half the infants with confirmed food hypersensitivity had no demonstrable IgE. In an exploratory analysis, risk factors for this phenotype of food hypersensitivity differed from those for IgE-mediated food allergy except for a healthy infant diet which was associated with less risk for both phenotypes

Hormone replacement therapy and mid-term implant survival following knee or hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a population-based cohort study

Objectives Osteolysis and subsequent prosthesis loosening is the most common cause for revision following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could reduce osteolysis through its antiresorptive effects. We studied whether HRT use is associated with reduced revision rates in a community-based cohort of women undergoing TKA or THA for osteoarthritis. Methods Female participants in the General Practice Research Database undergoing a primary TKA or THA from 1986 to 2006 were included. We excluded patients aged &lt;40 years at the date of primary, and those with a history of previous hip fracture or rheumatoid arthritis. Women with at least 6 months of HRT were identified as HRT users. We further explored the associations among HRT use of ≥12 months, adherence (medication possession ratio) and cumulative use and revision risk. Cox models were fitted to model implant survival in years. Propensity score matching was used to control for confounding. Results We matched 2700 HRT users to 8100 non-users, observed for a median (IQR) of 3.3 (1.5–6.1) years after TKA/THA. HR for HRT ≥6 months was 0.62 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.94), whereas HR for ≥12 months was 0.48 (0.29 to 0.78). Higher adherence and therapy duration were associated with further reductions in revision rates. Preoperative HRT appeared unrelated to implant survival. Conclusions HRT use is associated with an almost 40% reduction in revision rates after a TKA/THA. These findings require replication in external cohorts and experimental studies.</p

Use of illness severity scores to predict mortality in interstitial lung disease patients hospitalised with acute respiratory deterioration

Introduction: Hospitalisations relating to acute respiratory deteriorations (ARD) in Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) have poor outcomes. Factors predicting adverse outcomes are not fully understood and data addressing the use of illness severity scores in prognostication are limited. Objective: To investigate the use of CURB-65 and NEWS-2 severity scores in the prediction of mortality following ARD-ILD hospitalisation, using prospective methodology and to validate previously determined cut-offs, derived from a retrospective study cohort. Methods: A dual-centre prospective observational cohort study of all adults (≥18y) hospitalised with ARD-ILD in Bristol, UK (n = 179). Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP), CURB-65 and NEWS-2 scores were calculated for each eligible admission. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to quantify the strength of discrimination for NEWS-2 and CURB-65 scores. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between baseline severity scores and mortality. Results: GAP showed some merit at predicting 30-day mortality (AUC = 0.64, P = 0.015); whereas CURB-65 showed modest predictive value for in-hospital (AUC = 0.72, P < 0.001) and 90-day mortality (AUC = 0.67, P < 0.001). NEWS-2 showed higher predictive value for in-hospital (AUC = 0.80, P < 0.001) and 90-day mortality (AUC = 0.75, P < 0.001), with an optimal derived cut-off ≥6.5 found to be sensitive and specific for predicting in-hospital (83% and 63%) and 90-day (73% and 72%) mortality. In exploratory analyses, GAP score addition improved the predictive ability of NEWS-2 against 30-day mortality and CURB-65 across all time-periods. Conclusion: NEWS-2 has good discriminatory value for predicting in-hospital mortality and moderate discriminatory value for predicting 90-day mortality. The optimal NEWS-2 cut-off value determined was the same as in a previous retrospective cohort, confirming the NEWS-2 score shows promise in predicting mortality following ARD-ILD hospitalisation