Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a major public health problem. It is the fourth leading cause of chronic morbidity and mortality in the United States, and is projected to rank fifth in 2020 in burden of disease worldwide, according to a study published by the World Bank/World Health Organization. Yet, COPD remains relatively unknown or ignored by the public as well as public health and government officials. In 1998, in an effort to bring more attention to COPD, its management, and its prevention, a committed group of scientists encouraged the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the World Health Organization to form the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). Among the important objectives of GOLD are to increase awareness of COPD and to help the millions of people who suffer from this disease and die prematurely of it or its complications. The first step in the GOLD program was to prepare a consensus report, Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD, published in 2001. The present, newly revised document follows the same format as the original consensus report, but has been updated to reflect the many publications on COPD that have appeared. GOLD national leaders, a network of international experts, have initiated investigations of the causes and prevalence of COPD in their countries, and developed innovative approaches for the dissemination and implementation of COPD management guidelines. We appreciate the enormous amount of work the GOLD national leaders have done on behalf of their patients with COPD. Despite the achievements in the 5 years since the GOLD report was originally published, considerable additional work is ahead of us if we are to control this major public health problem. The GOLD initiative will continue to bring COPD to the attention of governments, public health officials, health care workers, and the general public, but a concerted effort by all involved in health care will be necessary.

https://www.who.int/respiratory/copd/GOLD_WR_06.pdf

Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: GOLD executive summary.

Jeffrey L. Anderson, MD, FACC, FAHA, Chair 

Jonathan L. Halperin, MD, FACC, FAHA, Chair-Elect 

Nancy M. Albert, PhD, RN, FAHA

Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA

Ralph G. Brindis, MD, MPH, MACC

Mark A. Creager, MD, FACC, FAHA[#][1]

Lesley H. Curtis, PhD, FAHA

David DeMets, PhD[#][1]

Robert A

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2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society

Representatives from many countries serve as a network for the dissemination and implementation of programs for diagnosis, management, and prevention of COPD. The GOLD Board of Directors is grateful to the many GOLD National Leaders who participated in discussions of concepts that appear in GOLD reports.

Global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease.

Sidney C. Smith, Jr, MD, FACC, FAHA, FESC, Chair; Alice K. Jacobs, MD, FACC, FAHA, Vice-Chair; Cynthia D. Adams, MSN, APRN-BC, FAHA; Jeffery L. Anderson, MD, FACC, FAHA; Elliott M. Antman, MD, FACC, FAHA[‡][1]; Jonathan L. Halperin, MD, FACC, FAHA; Sharon Ann Hunt, MD, FACC, FAHA; Rick Nishimura,

/pdf/acc-aha-esc-2006-guidelines-for-the-management-of-patients-5fc8py53ut.pdf

ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 2001 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation): Developed in Collaboration With the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society

Preamble 2072

1. Introduction 2074

2. Clinical Characteristics and Evaluation of AF 2076

3. Thromboembolic Risk and Treatment 2077

4. Rate Control: Recommendations 2079

5. Rhythm Control: Recommendations 2080

6. Specific Patient Groups and AF: Recommendations 2086

7. Evidence Gaps and Future Research Directions 2089

References 2090

Appendix 1. Author Relationships With Industry and Other Entities (Relevant) 2095

Appendix 2. Reviewer Relationships With Industry and Other Entities (Relevant) 2097

Appendix 3. Initial Clinical Evaluation in Patients With AF 2104

The medical profession should play a central role in evaluating the evidence related to drugs, devices, and procedures for the detection, management, and prevention of disease. When properly applied, expert analysis of available data on the benefits and risks of these therapies and procedures can improve the quality of care, optimize patient outcomes, and favorably affect costs by focusing resources on the most effective strategies. An organized …

/pdf/2014-aha-acc-hrs-guideline-for-the-management-of-patients-4kflhgi5zh.pdf

2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Executive Summary

https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(99)80374-X/pdf

Predicting mortality of patients hospitalized for acutely exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

In order to characterize the neuropsychologic profile of patients with hypoxic-hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the performance of 36 patients with COPD 69 +/- 10 yr of age (mean +/- SD) on 19 tests exploring eight cognitive domains was compared with those of 29 normal adults (69 +/- 7 yr of age), 20 normal elderly adults (78 +/- 2 yr of age), 26 patients with Alzheimer-type dementia (72 +/- 6 yr of age), and 28 with multi-infarct dementia (MID) (70 +/- 8 yr of age). The discriminant analysis of cognitive test scores showed that 48.5% of patients with COPD had a specific pattern of cognitive deterioration characterized by a dramatic impairment in verbal and verbal memory tasks, well-preserved visual attention, and diffuse worsening of the other functions. The remaining patients with COPD were functionally classified as normal adults (12.1%), normal elderly adults (15.2%), those with MID (12.1%), and those with Alzheimer-type dementia (12.1%) according to discriminant analysis. Cognitive impairment was significantly and positively correlated with age (p < 0.05) and duration of hypoxic-hypercapnic chronic respiratory failure (p < 0.05). Because patients with COPD were receiving oxygen therapy from the beginning of oxyhemoglobin desaturation, results suggest that continuous oxygen therapy does not prevent or only partly prevents cognitive decline in COPD. Although some analogies between age-related and COPD-related cognitive decline are evident, a distinct cognitive profile was found in a large fraction of patients with COPD and it differs in several aspects from those of both normal and demented subjects.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Original Model of Cognitive Decline

The relation of postural changes to the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was investigated in 12 normal nonsmokers in order to evaluate the influence of body position on severa

Factors affecting variations in pulmonary diffusing capacity resulting from postural changes.

Two mini peak flow meters commonly used to monitorize the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) are compared to assess their agreement, precision and, with respect to a standard pneumotachygraph, accuracy. Precision of the mini-Wright peak flow meter is greater, possibly as result of a systematic overestimation of PEFR values. The Assess peak-flow meter is more accurate, but its ability to reproduce the actual well-known PEFR variability is dependent from the absolute level of air flow. The agreement between two instruments is very poor, both in asthmatics and in normals, so that it is mandatory to use always the same mini peak flow meter in population studies and during the follow-up of asthmatic patients.

Comparison of the performance of two mini peak flow meters

In an attempt to define the early features and the natural evolution of lung involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), we planned a multidisciplinary study of these patients using radiological, scintigraphic and functional methods. As yet we have studied 21 subjects, all affected by PSS according to the American Rheumatism Association criteria. A well-defined restrictive functional pattern was present only in 10 patients out of 21; an increased elastic recoil may be present before a significant decrease of the transfer test for carbon monoxide; an increased alveolar-capillary permeability assessed by the 99mTc-diethylene-triamine-pentacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) clearance rate has been detected in almost all the patients (13 out of 14) in at least one lung field; no significant correlation has been found between the radiological lung involvement and the 99mTc-DTPA clearance rate. We think that these preliminary results are consistent with an alveolar and interstitial inflammation rather than with a vasculitic process.

Rodolfo Muzzolon

Papers

Predicting mortality of patients hospitalized for acutely exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Original Model of Cognitive Decline

Factors affecting variations in pulmonary diffusing capacity resulting from postural changes.

Comparison of the performance of two mini peak flow meters

Pulmonary involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis: a multidisciplinary approach.