The only international clinical textbook for COPD – one of the top 5 causes of death and disability worldwide The only COPD textbook to include the latest national and international guidelines and the newer therapeutic agents in COPD treatment International team of contributors covers all aspects of COPD – from physiology and epidemiology to diagnosis and treatment Everything the busy physician needs to understand, diagnose and treat the COPD patient: Structure and physiology of the respiratory system Clinical considerations and allied conditions Therapy (including current and developing treatments) Diagnostic tests used in daily practice

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. By 2020, COPD is expected to be the fifth leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death. COPD is associated with significant co-morbid illnesses including cardiovascular disease, pulmonary vascular disease, osteoporosis, depression and thoracic malignancies. In addition, COPD patients often have systemic manifestations of their disease, including peripheral muscle dysfunction, decreased activity levels and nutritional abnormalities, all of which contribute to poor functional status, decreased quality of life and increased health care utilization. Lack of recognition and understanding of the complex interactions of these common co-morbid conditions and systemic effects often contributes to sub-optimal care for patients with COPD. Comprehensive in covering the range of co-morbidities that often accompany COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Co-Morbidities and Systemic Consequences provides a concise, evidence-based review of the problem and its systemic manifestations. All physicians interested in this growing disorder – from subspecialists to primary care providers –will find in this timely and informative title the practical, state-of-the art approaches needed to provide targeted, integrated care for patients with COPD.

This book considers chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) not as a simple inflammation of the lung but as a systemic inflammatory disease. Beginning with epidemiological studies, etiology, diagnosis and treatment, it elaborates further, illustrating some comorbidities and associations with other respiratory diseases. As such it provides numerous improved and more comprehensive treatment methods, including drug therapies as well as some non-drug therapies. There are also chapters describing the pathogenesis, genetic abnormalities and newly discovered pathogenetic mechanisms that are expected to be studied further in the future. Edited and written by pioneering researchers, each chapter summarizes the latest trends, describes future prospects and explores the unresolved and critical questions. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - A Systemic Inflammatory Disease is a valuable resource to beginning researchers, physicians engaged in clinical practice, supervisors, and basic researchers whose work includes COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common respiratory diseases of the developed world and interest in the condition is burgeoning both among physicians encountering the disorder and within the pharmaceutical industry. International guidelines for diagnosis and management have been formulated and our basic understanding

Since the publication of the first edition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as a public health issue, has increased in line with the predictions of the World Health Organization and by the year 2020, will become one of the main killers of human life.With several important large scaled trials becoming available and our knowledge of COP

Since the 1970s, therapeutic nihilism has moved towards a more optimistic attitude regarding therapeutic alternatives in COPD. Research focused on inflammatory and physiological mechanisms has substantially increased during the last 10 years. This has led to an increased understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, which has resulted in improved treatment. Thus, in parallel to smoking-cessation programmes, other treatment modalities have been shown to be successful. Physiotherapy and pharmacotherapy have been extensively studied and the knowledge regarding what these therapeutic approa.

Placing specialists at the cutting-edge of therapeutic and biotechnological research, this reference reviews the extensive array of pharmaceutical options available for the management of patients with COPD. The book considers disease severity, dosing regimens, administration methods, and monitoring procedures, as well as medication-related side-effects for improved lung function, reduction of disease symptoms, and enhanced quality of life. Contributions from world-renowned authorities reflect recent practices, controversies, and procedures in the control of COPD symptoms and detail the development and efficacy of therapies such as anticholinergics, beta adrenergics, and corticosteroids.

Patients with COPD often make few complaints despite experiencing considerable disability. As well as the characteristic shortness of breath, the disease is associated with a number of comorbidities that can present major clinical problems. However, with early recognition and intervention, further deterioration can be prevented, and lung function, general health status and functional ability improved. In this fully updated third edition of 'Fast Facts: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease', the authors take a comprehensive look at: • the disease process, its causes and progression • the relationship between asthma and COPD • the investigations used to assess the severity and stage of COPD • the interventions that may reduce the risk of developing COPD • individualized patient management based on clinical features and comorbidities • current clinical guidelines from an international perspective • treatments that reduce symptoms and improve lung function in stable disease • the prevention and management of acute exacerbations • risk factor reduction, primarily through smoking cessation • future diagnostic and therapeutic developments. The easy-to-read, highly accessible format of this practical resource has been designed so that all primary care providers, specialist nurses, junior hospital doctors, paramedics, medical students and other allied healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and management of COPD can get up to speed on this multifaceted disease, fast! With clear take-home messages, it will also serve as a useful overview for researchers and specialists reading outside their subject area.

This text aids practitioners who seek to diagnose, treat and manage patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) more effectively. It discusses pulmonary gas exchange, muscle function and breathing, water/electrolyte imbalances and end-stage disease.

This issue of Clinics in Chest Medicine, guest-edited by Dr. Gerard Criner and Dr. Bartolome Celli, is focused on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Topics discussed in this issue include but are not limited to: COPD Pathogenesis; Epidemiology of COPD; Host, Gender, and Early Life Factors as Risks for COPD; Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency; Lung Function Testing; Assessing Symptom Burden; Chest Imaging in the Diagnosis and Assessment of the Patient with COPD; Biomarkers in the Diagnosis and Assessment of COPD; Asthma/COPD Overlap; Multimorbidity in the Patient with COPD; Definition Causes, Pathogenesis, and Consequences of Exacerbations; Treatment of Acute Exacerbations; Prevention of Exacerbations; Bronchodilators; Benefits and Risks of Inhaled Corticosteroids in COPD; Systemic Medications; Smoking Cessation/Vaccinations; Pulmonary Rehabilitation; Oxygen Therapy/Noninvasive Ventilation; and Interventional and Surgical Therapies for COPD.