Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases, Obstructive"

To characterize the nature of pulmonary responses to organic dust exposures in order to gain insight into patterns of respiratory disease in agricultural workers.

To examine the relationship of specific dietary factors to risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Patients with COPD have been found to have an increased risk of osteoporosis. The underlying mechanism is not clear yet. This case control study aims to identify risk factors for osteoporosis in GOLD II COPD patients. COPD GOLD II patients with osteoporosis (cases) will be matched by gender and age to COPD GOLD II patients without osteoporosis(controls). Possible risk factors for osteoporosis are: BMI/VVMI (body composition) emphysema vs chronic bronchitis physical capacity Use of certain medication (eg corticosteroids, SSRI's) Nutritional status Infectious parameters Outpatients from the pulmonary ward of the Catharina Hospital Eindhoven with GOLD II COPD according to the ATS and GOLD-guidelines will be included in the study (after written informed consent). A DEXA-scan will be made, if patients are osteoporotic or have a normal BMD they will be included in the study. A HRCT will be made, a six minutes walking distance will be performed, blood will be drawn for lab. analysis, an X-ray of the vertebral collum will be made, impedance will be measured and hight and weight will be measuered. Also patients will fill in a questionaire. By univariate and multivariate analysis the collected data will be analysed to determine possible risk factors for th development of osteoporosis in COPD GOLD II patients.

This study is investigating how patients with severe stable state COPD perceive the variability of their symptoms throughout the day, the week and the year; the impact of these variations on their daily activities or sleep quality and how they deal with their treatments. For this purpose patients will be asked to answer a questionnaire over the phone

The purpose of this study is to ensure the quality of the COPD treatment in primary care by implementing planned follow-up visits, where the disease condition is evaluated and optimised in accordance with the national COPD recommendations. If relevant the general practitioner (GP) will refer patients to COPD rehabilitation conducted by relevant municipality rehabilitation teams. Secondarily the purpose is to improve collaboration and communication between the local hospital pulmonologist, GPs and the municipality rehabilitation team

Objective: To investigate the potential role of endothelial dysfunction as a pathogenic mechanism of cardiovascular events in COPD. Hypothesis: endothelial function is abnormal in patients with COPD, particularly during exacerbations of the disease. Design: prospective and controlled study performed in an university hospital. Population: we compare 4 groups of subjects, 44 patients with stable COPD, 35 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD, 10 smokers or former smokers with normal lung function and 10 never smokers matched by physical activity and BMI. Study variables: a) clinical variables: clinical information, physical examination, pulmonary function tests, ECG and sputum culture; b) Biological variables: number of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells, vascular growth factors (vascular endothelial growht factor and erythropoietin), systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein, white blood cells), peripheral venous blood test (including hemogram, biochemical analysis with glycemia, cholesterol, LDLcol, HDLcol); and c) systemic vascular reactivity assessment.

In the present study inflammatory mediators will be isolated in induced sputum and exhaled breath condensate and will be correlated with particulate matter measured in these samples.Particulate matter will be assessed by partcle size distribution method and shape analysis. The aim of the study is to perform biological monitoring in environmental and occupational diseases in a non invassive fashion.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin-deficient individuals develop severe destructive lung disease much earlier and their lung function declines faster than the general population of individuals with chronic obstructive lung disease. This study is designed to better understand the pathogenesis of lung destruction in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficient individuals and to characterize the pathobiology of early lung destruction. To accomplish this we intend to use bronchoalveolar lavage to determine and quantify the factors that initiate and sustain lung inflammation in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficient individuals with lung function above a force expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of greater than 50% of predicted.

The association between viscera and the body surface remains obscure, but a better understanding of it will maximize its diagnostic and therapeutic values in clinical practice. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the specificity of the association between viscera and the body surface in the pathological state.

This pre/post study was a retrospective analysis of unplanned hospitalization rates in a cohort of COPD subjects started on remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) at a large, outpatient pulmonary practice. The study included all subjects with high healthcare utilization (≥1 hospitalization or emergency room visit in the prior year) who had elected to enroll in an RPM service for assistance with clinical management. Additional inclusion criteria included being on RPM for at least 12 months and a patient of the practice for at least two years (12 months pre- and post-initiation of RPM).