Significant heterogeneity of clinical presentation and disease progression exists within
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although FEV 1 inadequately describes this …

Background: COPDGene is a multicenter observational study designed to identify genetic
factors associated with COPD. It will also characterize chest CT phenotypes in COPD subjects, …

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex condition with
pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. This study describes the heterogeneity of …

Rationale: Although cigarette smoking is the most important cause of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), a substantial proportion of COPD cases cannot be explained by …

Background A key feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an accelerated
rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), but data on the variability …

Background Because chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous
condition, the identification of specific clinical phenotypes is key to developing more effective …

There is considerable variability in the susceptibility of smokers to develop chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD). The only known genetic risk factor is severe deficiency of α 1 -…

Age is the dominant risk factor for most chronic human diseases, but the mechanisms
through which ageing confers this risk are largely unknown 1 . The age-related acquisition of …

Inhaled β -adrenergic agonists are the most commonly used medications for the treatment
of asthma although there is evidence that regular use may produce adverse effects in some …

Background Tracking longitudinal measurements of growth and decline in lung function in
patients with persistent childhood asthma may reveal links between asthma and subsequent …