Sara Conti

The clinical and economic impact of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cohort of hospitalized patients.

Background Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common disease with significant health and economic consequences. This study assesses the burden of COPD in the general population, and the influence of exacerbations (E-COPD) on disease progression and costs. Methods This is a secondary data analysis of healthcare administrative databases of the region of Lombardy, in northern Italy. The study included ≥ 40 year-old patients hospitalized for a severe E-COPD (index event) during 2006. Patients were classified in relation to the number and type of E-COPD experienced in a three-year pre-index period. Subjects were followed up until December 31st, 2009, collecting data on healthcare resource use and vital status. Results 15857 patients were enrolled –9911 males, mean age: 76 years (SD 10). Over a mean follow-up time of 2.4 years (1.36), 81% of patients had at least one E-COPD with an annual rate of 3.2 exacerbations per person-year and an all-cause mortality of 47%. A history of exacerbation influenced the occurrence of new E-COPD and mortality after discharge for an E-COPD. On average, the healthcare system spent 6725€ per year per person (95%CI 6590–6863). Occurrence and type of exacerbations drove the direct healthcare cost. Less than one quarter of patients presented claims for pulmonary function tests. Conclusions COPD imposes a substantial burden on healthcare systems, mainly attributable to the type and occurrence of E-COPD, or in other words, to the exacerbator phenotypes. A more tailored approach to the management of COPD patients is required.

Epidemiological studies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: pitfalls in methodologies and data interpretation

Data on incidence, prevalence and mortality of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are sparse and vary across studies. The true incidence and prevalence of the disease are unknown. In general, the overall prevalence and incidence reported in European and Asian countries are lower than those reported in American studies. In recent years, the epidemiological approach to IPF has been difficult for many reasons. First, the diagnostic criteria of the disease have changed over time. Secondly, the coding system used for IPF in administrative databases, the most common data source used to study this aspect of the disease, has been modified in the past few years. Finally, the study design, the methodology and the population selected in each of the studies are very different. All these aspects make comparisons among studies very difficult or impossible. In this review, we list the main issues that might arise when comparing different studies and that should be taken into consideration when describing the state of epidemiological knowledge concerning this pathology. An accurate understanding of IPF epidemiology is important; comparisons of studies must consider their heterogeneity http://ow.ly/P5sZF

Epidemiology of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Northern Italy.

Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common and severe form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Despite its clinical relevance, few studies have examined the epidemiology of IPF and temporal variation in disease incidence and prevalence. Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence, incidence and trends of IPF in Lombardy, a region with nearly 10 million inhabitants, during 2005–2010. Methods For the identification of IPF patients, we used healthcare administrative databases of Lombardy Healthcare System and adopted three algorithms: generic, broad and narrow case definition (GCD, BCD, NCD). IPF cases were identified according to diagnoses reported in inpatient and outpatient claims occurred during 2000–2010. We estimated age- and sex-adjusted annual prevalence and incidence rates from 2005 to 2010, thus allowing for a 5-year washout period. Results The mean annual incidence rate was estimated at 2.3 and 5.3 per 100,000 person-years using NCD and GCD, respectively. IPF incidence was higher among males, and increased with age. Trend remained stable over the years. The estimated annual prevalence rate was 35.5, 22.4, and 12.6 per 100,000 person-years using GCD, BCD and NCD, respectively, and increased with age. Moreover, we observed a positive trend over the years. Using BCD and NCD, prevalence was higher among males. Conclusions The results of this study, which is one of the largest population-based survey ever conducted according to strict criteria, indicated that prevalence of IPF increased across the years while incidence remained stable, thus suggesting that survival with IPF has improved.

Cardiorespiratory treatments as modifiers of the relationship between particulate matter and health: a case-only analysis on hospitalized patients in Italy.

BACKGROUND A few panel and toxicological studies suggest that health effects of particulate matter (PM) might be modified by medication intake, but whether this modification is confirmed in the general population or for more serious outcomes is still unknown. OBJECTIVES We carried out a population-based pilot study in order to assess how pre-hospitalization medical treatments modify the relationship between PM<10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) and the risk of cardiorespiratory admission. METHODS We gathered information on hospitalizations for cardiorespiratory causes, together with pre-admission pharmacological treatments, that occurred during 2005 in seven cities located in Lombardy (Northern Italy). City-specific PM10 concentrations were measured at fixed monitoring stations. Each treatment of interest was analyzed separately through a case-only approach, using generalized additive models accounting for sex, age, comorbidities, temperature and simultaneous intake of other drugs. Analyses were stratified by season and, if useful, by age and sex. RESULTS Our results showed a higher effect size for PM10 on respiratory admissions in subjects treated with theophylline (Odds Ratio (OR) of treatment for an increment of 10 μg/m(3) in PM10 concentration: 1.119; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.013-1.237), while for cardiovascular admissions treatment with cardiac therapy (OR: 0.967, 95% CI: 0.940-0.995) and lipid modifying agents (OR: 0.962, 95% CI: 0.931-0.995) emerged as a protective factor, especially during the warm season. Evidence of a protective effect against the pollutant was found for glucocorticoids and respiratory admissions. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that the treatment with cardiac therapy and lipid modifying agents might mitigate the effect of PM10 on cardiovascular health, while the use of theophylline seems to enhance the effect of the pollutant, possibly due to confounding by indication. It is desirable to extend the analyses to a larger population.

The association between air pollution and the incidence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Northern Italy

Acute exacerbations and worsening of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been associated with exposure to ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter, but chronic exposure to air pollution might also affect the incidence of IPF. We investigated the association between chronic exposure to NO2, O3 and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10) and IPF incidence in Northern Italy between 2005 and 2010. Daily predictions of PM10 concentrations were obtained from spatiotemporal models, and NO2 and O3 hourly concentrations from fixed monitoring stations. We identified areas with homogenous exposure to each pollutant. We built negative binomial models to assess the association between area-specific IPF incidence rate, estimated through administrative databases, and average overall and seasonal PM10, NO2, and 8-hour maximum O3 concentrations. Using unadjusted models, an increment of 10 µg·m−3 in NO2 concentration was associated with an increase between 7.93% (95% CI 0.36–16.08%) and 8.41% (95% CI −0.23–17.80%) in IPF incidence rate, depending on the season. After adjustment for potential confounders, estimated effects were similar in magnitude, but with larger confidence intervals. Although confirmatory studies are needed, our results trace a potential association between exposure to traffic pollution and the development of IPF. The inhalation of traffic-related pollutants, namely NO2, might be involved in the development of IPF http://ow.ly/qfLE30ge36C

Epidemiology, survival, incidence and prevalence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the USA and Canada

It was interesting to read the paper by Raghu et al. [1] in the July issue of the European Respiratory Journal (ERJ). The article evaluated the epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 18–64 year-olds in the USA. Epidemiological studies in IPF: pitfalls in methodologies and data interpretation http://ow.ly/QE1K302X9Bz

The short-term effect of particulate matter on cardiorespiratory drug prescription, as a proxy of mild adverse events

Introduction and aims The association between particulate matter < 10 &mgr;m in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) and mild disease episodes, not leading to hospitalization or death, has been rarely investigated. We studied the short‐term effect of PM10 on purchases of specific cardiorespiratory medications, as proxies of mild episodes, in 7 small‐ and medium‐sized cities of Northern Italy, during 2005–2006. Materials and methods We extracted information on purchased prescriptions from healthcare administrative databases, and we obtained daily PM10 concentrations from fixed monitoring stations. We applied a time‐stratified case‐crossover design, using the time‐series of antidiabetic drugs purchases to control for confounding due to irregularities in daily purchase frequencies. Results During the warm season, we estimated a delayed (lags 2–6) increased risk of buying glucocorticoid (4.53%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.62, 6.48) and adrenergic inhalants (1.66%, 95% CI: 0.10, 3.24), following an increment (10 &mgr;g/m3) in PM10 concentration. During the cold season, we observed an immediate (lags 0–1) increased risk of purchasing antiarrhythmics (0.76%; 95% CI: 0.16, 1.36) and vasodilators (0.72%; 95% CI: 0.30, 1.13), followed by a risk reduction (lags 2–6), probably due to harvesting. Conclusions Focusing on drug purchases, we reached sufficient statistical power to study PM10 effect outside large urban areas and conclude that short‐term increments in PM10 concentrations might cause mild cardiorespiratory disease episodes. HighlightsCardiorespiratory prescriptions are stored in administrative databases.Such prescriptions can be used as tracers of mild disease episodes.We studied the relationship between PM10 and such prescriptions outside urban areas.PM10 is associated with a short‐term increase in cardiorespiratory drugs consumption.