Clinic-based effectiveness studies of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) treatment in reducing BP in resistant hypertension (RHTN) vs non-RHTN are sparse. We hypothesize that CPAP use in SDB reduces BP significantly in RHTN and non-RHTN in a large clinic-based cohort.

A subset of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) develops pulmonary hypertension (PH) by mechanisms including pulmonary arterial hypertension, high flow, and elevated pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP). We aimed to describe echocardiographic and hemodynamic characteristics of patients with coexisting HHT and PH.

There is a growing understanding of the prevalence and impact of psychological disorders on COPD. However, the role of these disorders in early readmission is unclear.

For patients diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), the prognostic significance of concomitant DVT lacks clarity.

There is a need for improved clinical identification of hospitalized patients at risk of aspiration. We evaluated our novel phonetic test in a broad spectrum of patients at risk of aspiration in the ICU or intermediate care unit.

Patients with COPD suffer from chronic dyspnea, which is commonly perceived as highly aversive and threatening. Moreover, COPD is often accompanied by disease-specific fears and avoidance of physical activity. However, little is known about structural brain changes in patients with COPD and respective relations with disease duration and disease-specific fears.

Balance deficits and an increased fall risk are well documented in individuals with COPD. Despite evidence that balance training programs can improve performance on clinical balance tests, their minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the MCID of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale in patients with COPD undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation.

In Japan, the routine use of early antiviral therapy for patients with influenza is standard.

Monitoring potential changes in the epidemiology of cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogens furthers our understanding of the potential impact of interventions.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly prevalent with age, and increasing age is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy use in the extreme elderly (aged ≥ 85 years) is challenging.

An estimated 700 million people suffer from mosquito-borne diseases worldwide. Various types of mosquito repellents are widely used to prevent mosquito bites. The objectives of this study were (1) to measure the indoor levels of particulate matter < 2.5 μm in mean aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) during the burning of mosquito coils (MCs) and study the impact of indoor ventilation patterns; and (2) to study and compare the prevalence of respiratory ailments in homes using different types of mosquito repellents.

Pathologic features of end-stage pulmonary sarcoidosis (ESPS) are not well defined; anecdotal reports have suggested that ESPS may mimic usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). We hypothesized that ESPS has distinct histologic features.

This article describes the use of smart technology by investigators and patients to facilitate lung disease clinical trials and make them less costly and more efficient. By "smart technology" we include various electronic media, such as computer databases, the Internet, and mobile devices. We first describe the use of electronic health records for identifying potential subjects and then discuss electronic informed consent. We give several examples of using the Internet and mobile technology in clinical trials. Interventions have been delivered via the World Wide Web or via mobile devices, and both have been used to collect outcome data. We discuss examples of new electronic devices that recently have been introduced to collect health data. While use of smart technology in clinical trials is an exciting development, comparison with similar interventions applied in a conventional manner is still in its infancy. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of using this omnipresent, powerful tool in clinical trials, as well as directions for future research.

Exercise can distend the normally compliant, thin-walled pulmonary vessels. Loss of distensibility has been suggested as an early marker of pulmonary vascular remodeling. We hypothesized that in mild pulmonary vascular disease (PVD), a reduction in vascular distensibility during exercise occurs prior to the development of overt resting pulmonary hypertension (PH).

COPD is a major cause of all-cause mortality. We examined predictors of 1-year mortality in patients with severe COPD and major depression after inpatient treatment in a rehabilitation hospital.

Many epidemiologic studies have documented variable relationships between ambient particulate matter (PM) and COPD hospitalizations and mortality in cities worldwide.