Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine最新文献

Purpose of review: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common chronic condition that affects over a billion people worldwide and is associated with adverse cardio- and cerebrovascular consequences. Currently, the go-to clinical measure that determines the presence and severity of OSA is the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The AHI captures the frequency of respiratory events due to changes in ventilation that are associated with either oxygen desaturations or arousal from sleep. The AHI is poorly correlated to adverse outcomes in OSA with poor prognostic ability. To overcome the limitations of AHI and perhaps driven by the ease of acquisition, several studies have suggested characterizing nocturnal hypoxia in OSA, termed as "hypoxic burden". The purpose of this review is to focus on the hypoxic burden in OSA, its various definitions, and its utility in moving OSA diagnosis beyond the AHI.

Recent findings: Several measures and definitions of hypoxic burden have been proposed and studied that show promise in overcoming limitations of AHI and also have a greater prognostic ability than AHI. More recently, area-based measures that attempt to characterize the depth and duration of oxygen desaturations, i.e., nocturnal hypoxia in OSA, have been shown to better relate to incident cardiovascular disease than AHI. In this review, we delve into the evidence for these novel area-based metrics and also delve into the pathophysiological concepts underlying nocturnal hypoxia while cautioning the reader on interpretation of the recent findings relating hypoxic burden to adverse outcomes in OSA.

Summary: In this review on hypoxic burden, we focus on the need that has driven the sudden influx of studies assessing hypoxic burden for various outcomes of OSA, its underlying pathophysiology, the various definitions, and clinical relevance. We hope that the reader can appreciate the nuances underlying hypoxic burden in OSA and suggest the need for a cohesive framework for moving beyond the AHI with hypoxic burden.

Purpose of review: Updated clinical practice guidelines for pulmonary fibrosis recommend early integrated palliative care using a primary palliative approach. Clinicians need to be aware of the various palliative interventions in order to implement guidelines' recommendations. This review provides an update on evidence-based palliative therapies.

Recent findings: Literature review indicates early integration of palliative care in pulmonary fibrosis is feasible and meets patient needs. Key components of a primary palliative approach include comprehensive symptoms and needs screening, systematic symptom management using nonpharmacologic interventions, supplemental oxygen and opioids for dyspnea and cough. Patient-centered communication is essential for successful integration of palliative care. Early, iterative advance care planning in clinic to understand patient goals, values and preferences for current and future care, improves patient care and satisfaction. Prioritizing caregiver inclusion in clinics can address their needs. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary allied team facilitates integration of palliative care and supports patients throughout the disease course. Different models of palliative care delivery exist and can be adapted for local use. The use of artificial intelligence algorithms and tools may improve care and continuity.

Summary: Clinicians must develop competency in palliative care. Organizational and policy support is essential to enable seamless integration of palliative care throughout the care continuum.

Purpose of review: This review addresses the concern of the health effects associated with high-altitude living and chronic hypoxia with a focus on pulmonary hypertension. With an increasing global population residing at high altitudes, understanding these effects is crucial for public health interventions and clinical management.

Recent findings: Recent literature on the long-term effects of high-altitude residence and chronic hypoxia is comprehensively summarized. Key themes include the mechanisms of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, the development of pulmonary hypertension, and challenges in distinguishing altitude-related pulmonary hypertension and classical pulmonary vascular diseases, as found at a low altitude.

Summary: The findings emphasize the need for research in high-altitude communities to unravel the risks of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular diseases. Clinically, early and tailored management for symptomatic individuals residing at high altitudes are crucial, as well as access to advanced therapies as proposed by guidelines for pulmonary vascular disease. Moreover, identifying gaps in knowledge underscores the necessity for continued research to improve understanding and clinical outcomes in high-altitude pulmonary vascular diseases.

Purpose of review: To discuss the most recent applications of radiological imaging, from conventional to quantitative, in the setting of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis.

Recent findings: In this article, current concepts on radiological diagnosis of IPF, from high-resolution computed tomography (CT) to other imaging modalities, are reviewed. In a separate section, advances in quantitative CT and development of novel imaging biomarkers, as well as current limitations and future research trends, are described.

Summary: Radiological imaging in IPF, particularly quantitative CT, is an evolving field which holds promise in the future to allow for an increasingly accurate disease assessment and prognostication of IPF patients. However, further standardization and validation studies of alternative imaging applications and quantitative biomarkers are needed.

Purpose of review: The identification of extra-pulmonary symptoms plays a crucial role in diagnosing interstitial lung disease (ILD). These symptoms not only indicate autoimmune diseases but also hint at potential genetic disorders, suggesting a potential overlap between genetic and autoimmune origins.

Recent findings: Genetic factors contributing to ILD are predominantly associated with telomere (TRG) and surfactant-related genes. While surfactant-related gene mutations typically manifest with pulmonary involvement alone, TRG mutations were initially linked to syndromic forms of pulmonary fibrosis, known as telomeropathies, which may involve hematological and hepatic manifestations with variable penetrance. Recognizing extra-pulmonary signs indicative of telomeropathy should prompt the analysis of TRG mutations, the most common genetic cause of familial pulmonary fibrosis. Additionally, various genetic diseases causing ILD, such as alveolar proteinosis, alveolar hemorrhage, or unclassifiable pulmonary fibrosis, often present as part of syndromes that include hepatic, hematological, or skin disorders.

Summary: This review explores the main genetic conditions identified over the past two decades.

Purpose of review: This review addresses treatment options for moderate to severe tricuspid valve regurgitation and the importance of right ventricular function and the pulmonary circulation.

Recent findings: Several interventional treatment options for severe tricuspid regurgitation have been developed including transcatheter edge-to-edge repair, annuloplasty and valve replacement. So far, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair is most frequently used with procedural success rates of more than 95% and improvements in functional and quality of life parameters for up to 2 years. Right ventricular function as well as pulmonary artery pressure and resistance levels are important outcome predictors. Mean pulmonary artery pressure more than 30 mmHg, transpulmonary gradient more than 17 mmHg and right ventricular to pulmonary artery coupling ratio less than 0.406 indicate poor outcome.

Summary: Despite the remarkable safety of interventional treatment of severe tricuspid regurgitation right ventricular dysfunction and abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics are important determinants of procedural success and clinical outcome.Complete hemodynamic work-up should be an integral part of prerepair assessment although validated data predicting outcome are limited.

Purpose of review: This review synthesizes the expanding evidence for pulmonary rehabilitation that has led to its recommended inclusion in the holistic care of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as well as discussing strategies that may maximize and sustain benefits.

Recent findings: Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective intervention leading to significant improvements in exercise tolerance, symptoms, and quality of life for people with IPF. Improvements in symptoms and quality of life can persist longer term, whereas functional capacity does not; therefore, strategies to preserve functional capacity are an important area of research. Referral early in the disease course is encouraged to promote longer lasting effects. Evidence that high-intensity interval training may optimize benefits of exercise training is emerging. Supplemental oxygen is frequently used to manage exercise-induced desaturation, although its use as an adjunct therapy requires more evidence.

Summary: Current evidence strongly supports the inclusion of pulmonary rehabilitation in the standard holistic care of IPF, with early participation encouraged. Further research is needed to establish the optimal exercise strategies, modalities and adjunct therapies that enhance outcomes of pulmonary rehabilitation and promote longer lasting effects.

Purpose of review: Sarcoidosis is a systemic, granulomatous disease of uncertain cause. Diagnosis may be difficult, prognosis uncertain and response to treatment unpredictable. The application of artificial intelligence to sarcoidosis may provide clinical decision support for these challenges. This review will provide an overview of current and potential future applications of artificial intelligence in sarcoidosis.

Recent findings: The predominant application of artificial intelligence in sarcoidosis is imaging. Imaging models may differentiate sarcoidosis from other pulmonary disorders. Models, which predict survival and identify key factors relevant to prognosis are also available. The application of cluster analysis to organize sarcoidosis patients into developmental phenotypes is underway. Machine learning algorithms to evaluate the treatment response of sarcoidosis patients do not yet exist but similar models may evaluate patients with other inflammatory disease. The potential applications of artificial intelligence to sarcoidosis is vast, but there are practical limitations that warrant consideration. These include: the accessibility of data, biases in data, cost and privacy.

Summary: The application of artificial intelligence in medicine is still in its early stages but models are poised to support the diagnostic and prognostic challenges in sarcoidosis patients. The predictive power of these artificial intelligence is likely to come from combining various models, trained on content-rich datasets from phenotypically heterogeneous sarcoidosis patients.

Purpose of review: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the prototype of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases. It is mirrored by progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), an umbrella term which characterizes disease behavior of various fibrotic interstitial lung diseases with irreversible progression, accounting for loss of lung function, exercise intolerance and respiratory failure leading to early mortality. Pirfenidone and nintedanib halve the decline in lung function but do not halt disease progression.

Recent findings: Since the publication in 2014 of pivotal pirfenidone and nintedanib studies, a number of clinical trials were conducted, many of them did not reach their primary endpoints. In IPF, promising phase 2 trials were followed by large phase 3 trials that did not confirm a favorable efficacy to tolerability favorable profile, including those with ziritaxestat, an autotaxin-1 inhibitor, zinpentraxin-alpha (human recombinant pentraxin-2), and the monoclonal antibody pamrevlumab targeting connective tissue growth factor. Nevertheless, newer compounds that hold promise are currently being evaluated in phase 3 or phase 2b randomized controlled trials, including: nerandomilast, a preferential phosphodiesterase 4B inhibitor; admilparant, a lysophosphatidic acid receptor antagonist; inhaled treprostinil, a prostacyclin agonist; and bexotegrast, a dual-selective inhibitor of αvβ6 and αvβ1 integrins. Nerandomilast, admilparant, inhaled treprostinil, and inhaled AP01 (pirfenidone), are currently studied in patients with PPF.

Summary: Despite recent frustrating negative results, there is a growing portfolio of candidate drugs developed in both IPF and PPF.

Purpose of review: In this review, we provide an overview of the prognostic implications of exPH in patients with various common cardiac and pulmonary diseases.

Recent findings: Exercise pulmonary hypertension (exPH) has been recently re-introduced in the current European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society pulmonary hypertension guidelines. Accordingly, exPH is defined as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP)/cardiac output ( CO ) slope greater than 3 mmHg/l/min. Key considerations for this re-introduction included increasing understanding on normal pulmonary hemodynamics during exercise and the broadly available evidence on the association of an abnormal mPAP/ CO slope with poor survival in the general population and in different disease entities.

Summary: Exercise (patho-)physiology has opened a new field for clinical research facilitating recognition of cardiovascular and pulmonary vascular diseases in an early stage. Such early recognition with significant prognostic and possibly therapeutic relevance, but being undetectable at rest, makes exercise pulmonary hemodynamics particularly interesting for common diseases, such as valvular heart disease, left heart disease, and chronic pulmonary disease.