Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - diagnosis and management of stable disease; a personalized approach to care, using the treatable traits concept based on clinical phenotypes. Position paper of the Czech Pneumological and Phthisiological Society

Evaluation of comparative efficacy of Umeclidinium/Vilanterol versus other bronchodilators in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs

BACKGROUND

UMEC/VI administered via a combination inhaler is associated with a clinically significant improvement in lung function and health-related quality of life in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD. However, their efficacy compared to other bronchodilator mono or dual therapies still remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of UMEC/VI dual and UMEC/VI/FF triple therapies versus alternative bronchodilator regimens in COPD patients.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted using four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) to select publications published in peer-reviewed journals written in English. The odds ratio (OR) and risk ratio (RR) was calculated, along with their 95% confidence intervals. We assessed heterogeneity using Cochrane Q and I [2] statistics and the appropriate p-value. The analysis used RevMan 5.4.

RESULTS

The current meta-analysis includes 31,814 COPD patients from 17 RCTs. The meta-analysis results demonstrate that the combination of LABA and LAMA provides additive bronchodilation and improved lung function in COPD patients. We found that UMEC/VI dual therapy significantly improved FEV1 (OR 1.98 [95% CI 1.70-2.30]), TDI values (OR 1.97 [95% CI 1.72-2.26]), and reduced SGRQ total scores (OR 1.99 [95% CI 1.71-2.32]), with fewer drug-related adverse events (RR 0.58 [95% CI 0.53-0.64]). Similarly, UMEC/VI/FF triple therapy also showed similar benefits, with significant improvements in FEV1 (OR 1.93 [95% CI 1.73-2.15]), TDI values (OR 2.37 [95% CI 2.15-2.61]), and reduced SGRQ total scores (OR 1.83 [95% CI 1.63-2.05]), and fewer drug-related adverse events (RR 0.53 [95% CI 0.49-0.58]).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis concludes that UMEC and VI combinations are an efficacious treatment option for symptomatic COPD patients.

Machine learning approach to flare-up detection and clustering in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients

Purpose

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and preventable condition that typically worsens over time. Acute exacerbations of COPD significantly impact disease progression, underscoring the importance of prevention efforts. This observational study aimed to achieve two main objectives: (1) identify patients at risk of exacerbations using an ensemble of clustering algorithms, and (2) classify patients into distinct clusters based on disease severity.

Methods

Data from portable medical devices were analyzed post-hoc using hyperparameter optimization with Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), Isolation Forest, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms, to detect flare-ups. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) followed by KMeans clustering was applied to categorize patients by severity.

Results

25 patients were included within the study population, data from 17 patients had the required reliability. Five patients were identified in the highest deterioration group, with one clinically confirmed exacerbation accurately detected by our ensemble algorithm. Then, PCA and KMeans clustering grouped patients into three clusters based on severity: Cluster 0 started with the least severe characteristics but experienced decline, Cluster 1 consistently showed the most severe characteristics, and Cluster 2 showed slight improvement.

Conclusion

Our approach effectively identified patients at risk of exacerbations and classified them by disease severity. Although promising, the approach would need to be verified on a larger sample with a larger number of recorded clinically verified exacerbations.

Salbutamol attenuates arrhythmogenic effect of aminophylline in a hPSC-derived cardiac model

The combination of aminophylline and salbutamol is frequently used in clinical practice in the treatment of obstructive lung diseases. While the side effects (including arrhythmias) of the individual bronchodilator drugs were well described previously, the side effects of combined treatment are almost unknown. We aimed to study the arrhythmogenic potential of combined aminophylline and salbutamol treatment in vitro. For this purpose, we used the established atomic force microscopy (AFM) model coupled with cardiac organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC-CMs). We focused on the chronotropic, inotropic, and arrhythmogenic effects of salbutamol alone and aminophylline and salbutamol combined treatment. We used a method based on heart rate/beat rate variability (HRV/BRV) analysis to detect arrhythmic events in the hPSC-CM based AFM recordings. Salbutamol and aminophylline had a synergistic chronotropic and inotropic effect compared to the effects of monotherapy. Our main finding was that salbutamol reduced the arrhythmogenic effect of aminophylline, most likely mediated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase activated by beta-2 adrenergic receptors. These findings were replicated and confirmed using hPSC-CM derived from two cell lines (CCTL4 and CCTL12). Data suggest that salbutamol as an add-on therapy may not only deliver a bronchodilator effect but also increase the cardiovascular safety of aminophylline, as salbutamol reduces its arrhythmogenic potential.

Impact of COPD stage on self management with COPD patients: The mediating role of symptoms management

AIMS

It is extremely important to determine the relationship between COPD and self-management (SM) in the disease process. However, the impact of symptom management (SpM) on this relationship is still unclear. The study aimed to examine the mediating role of SpM in the effect of the COPD stage on SM.

DESIGN

A predictive correlational study was reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

METHODS

This study was conducted between 15 February 2023 and 15 June 15 2023, with 306 patients. Data were collected using the Symptom Management Scale for Self-Efficacy and the Chronic Disease Self-Management Scale. Descriptive statistics and Process Macro Model 4 in the SPSS program were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Most of the patients were in the moderate stage of COPD; their SM scores were at low levels; SpM scores were at moderate levels. The model was significant, and the variables explained 65% of the model. The COPD stage was significantly positively correlated with SpM and negatively correlated with SM. There was a significant positive impact between SpM and SM. The positive and significant standardised indirect effect of SpM on SM evidenced a full mediating effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptom management has a full mediating role in the effect of the COPD stage on SM. It was revealed that the level of SM can be increased by achieving SpM.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE

Symptoms are vital in COPD. Progression of COPD increases symptom severity. Being successful in SpM greatly contributes to the achievement of self-management. Therefore, nurses should definitely consider symptom control in strengthening self-management in the care of patients with COPD.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients' COPD stage was determined by a pulmonologist involved in the study. Voluntary patients with COPD hospitalised in the pulmonology clinic were included in the study.

Symptom Cluster Profiles in Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Insomnia

BACKGROUND

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and insomnia may experience multiple symptoms that can affect physical function, but little research has focused on symptom clusters in this population.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify subgroups of people with COPD and insomnia based on a pre-specified symptom cluster and determine whether physical function differed in the subgroups.

METHODS

This secondary data analysis included 102 people with insomnia and COPD. Latent profile analysis classified subgroups of individuals sharing similar patterns of five symptoms: insomnia, dyspnea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Multinomial logistic regression and multiple regression determined factors associated with the subgroups and whether physical function differed among them.

RESULTS

Three groups of participants were identified based on the severity of all five symptoms: low (Class 1), intermediate (Class 2), and high (Class 3). Compared to Class 1, Class 3 showed lower self-efficacy for sleep and for COPD management and more dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep. Class 3 showed more dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep than Class 2. Class 1 showed significantly better physical function than Classes 2 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-efficacy for sleep and for COPD management and dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep were associated with class membership. As physical function differed among subgroups, interventions to improve self-efficacy for sleep and for COPD management and minimize dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep may reduce symptom cluster severity, in turn enhancing physical function.

Use of thiols and implications for the use of inhaled corticosteroids in the presence of oxidative stress in COPD

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress and persistent airway inflammation are thought to be important contributors to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This review summarizes the evidence for targeting oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with COPD with mucolytic/antioxidant thiols and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), either alone or in combination.

MAIN BODY

Oxidative stress is increased in COPD, particularly during acute exacerbations. It can be triggered by oxidant air pollutants and cigarette smoke and/or by endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) released from mitochondria and activated inflammatory, immune and epithelial cells in the airways, together with a reduction in endogenous antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH). Oxidative stress also drives chronic inflammation and disease progression in the airways by activating intracellular signalling pathways and the release of further inflammatory mediators. ICS are anti-inflammatory agents currently recommended for use with long-acting bronchodilators to prevent exacerbations in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, especially those with eosinophilic airway inflammation. However, corticosteroids can also increase oxidative stress, which may in turn reduce corticosteroid sensitivity in patients by several mechanisms. Thiol-based agents such as erdosteine, N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC) and S-carboxymethylcysteine (S-CMC) are mucolytic agents that also act as antioxidants. These agents may reduce oxidative stress directly through the free sulfhydryl groups, serving as a source of reducing equivalents and indirectly though intracellular GSH replenishment. Few studies have compared the effects of corticosteroids and thiol agents on oxidative stress, but there is some evidence for greater antioxidant effects when they are administered together. The current Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) report supports treatment with antioxidants (erdosteine, NAC, S-CMC) in addition to standard-of-care therapy as they have been demonstrated to reduce COPD exacerbations. However, such studies have demonstrated that NAC and S-CMC reduced the exacerbation risk only in patients not treated with ICS, whereas erdosteine reduced COPD exacerbations irrespective of concomitant ICS use suggesting that erdosteine has additional pharmacological actions to ICS.

CONCLUSIONS

Further clinical trials of antioxidant agents with and without ICS are needed to better understand the place of thiol-based drugs in the treatment of patients with COPD.

Stepwise management of COPD: What is next after bronchodilation?

Inhaled bronchodilator therapy with long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) and long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) in combination is currently the mainstay of treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Treatment guidelines recommend the addition of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) to LABA/LAMA only in patients with a history of frequent/severe exacerbations and high blood eosinophil counts, or in those with concomitant asthma. Despite this, real-world data suggest that clinicians are not adhering to this guidance and that ICS are frequently overused. This is possibly due to the incorrect assumption that when LABA/LAMA therapy is not sufficient, adding an ICS to the treatment regimen is the logical next step. In this narrative review, we describe global and country-specific guideline recommendations from Germany, Spain, and Japan and compare these with real-world data on LABA/LAMA and ICS use in clinical practice. We also provide a clinical guide to the use of add-on therapies with LABA/LAMA for different patient phenotypes, including (1) patients still symptomatic (but not exacerbating) despite LABA/LAMA treatment; (2) patients still exacerbating despite LABA/LAMA treatment who have high blood eosinophil counts; and (3) patients still exacerbating despite LABA/LAMA treatment who do not have high blood eosinophils or concomitant asthma.

Prognostic Properties of the GOLD 2023 Classification System

Introduction

Recently, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has published an update on the Global Strategy for Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of COPD, introducing a new classification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to assess the prognostic value of the new GOLD classification system in comparison with the previous GOLD classification systems (GOLD stages I-IV and GOLD groups A-D) and the BODE index.

Methods

We used the data of 784 patients with COPD from the Czech Multicenter Research Database of COPD. Patient survival was analyzed with the use of Kaplan-Meier estimate and Cox model of proportional risks. ROC analysis and area under curve (AUC) were used for comparison of GOLD classifications and BODE index. The analyses were performed with the use of software R (version 4.2.0).

Results

We analyzed data of 782 patients with complete data on GOLD classifications. The study population comprised 72.9% of men, 89.1% current or former smokers, with a mean age of 66.6 years, a mean BMI of 27.4 and a mean FEV₁ 44.9% of predicted. Probability of 5-year survival differed by GOLD classification. Application of the 2023 GOLD classification showed increased risk of death in group B (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.14-2.92; p = 0.013) and in group E (HR 2.48, 95% CI 1.54-3.99; p˂0.001). The ROC analysis showed that the overall prognostic value of the 2023 GOLD classification was similarly weak to previous A-D GOLD classification schemes (AUCs 0.557-0.576) and was lower compared to the GOLD 1-4 system (AUC 0.614) and even lower when compared to the BODE index (AUC 0.715).

Conclusion

We concluded that the new GOLD classification system has poor prognostic properties and that specific prediction tools (eg, the BODE index) should be used for mortality risk assessment.

LABA/LAMA as First-Line Therapy for COPD: A Summary of the Evidence and Guideline Recommendations

Inhaled bronchodilators (alone or in combination) are the cornerstone of treatment for symptomatic patients with COPD, either as initial/first-line treatment or for second-line/treatment escalation in patients who experience persistent symptoms or exacerbations on monotherapy. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2022 report recommends initial pharmacological treatment with a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) or a long-acting β₂-agonist (LABA) as monotherapy for most patients, or dual bronchodilator therapy (LABA/LAMA) in patients with more severe symptoms, regardless of exacerbation history. The recommendations for LABA/LAMA are broader in the American Thoracic Society treatment guidelines, which strongly recommend LABA/LAMA combination therapy over LAMA or LABA monotherapy in patients with COPD and dyspnea or exercise intolerance. However, despite consistent guideline recommendations, real-world prescribing data indicate that LAMA and/or LABA without an inhaled corticosteroid are not the most widely prescribed therapies in COPD. This article reviews global and regional/national guideline recommendations for the use of LABA/LAMA in COPD, examines the evidence for the effectiveness and safety of LABA/LAMA versus other therapies and offers a practical guide for clinicians to help ensure appropriate use of LABA/LAMA therapy.

Patient activation is a treatable trait in patients with chronic airway diseases: An observational study

Background

Self-management is key for reducing the burden of disease in chronical illness. However, applying self-management presupposes behavioral change. Sufficient knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to make the needed behavior changes are important prerequisites. During the past years the Integral Diagnostic Trajectory was developed for patients with asthma or COPD which aims to identify treatable traits and activating patients for self-management.

Objective

In the present study the effects of the Integral Diagnostic Trajectory on the Patient Activation Measure (PAM®) were examined. In addition, predictive variables for PAM baseline scores and change scores were sought.

Materials and methods

A total of 241 patients with asthma or COPD referred to the pulmonologist at the Radboud university medical center, location Dekkerswald, Nijmegen were included. Patient activation was measured before the first visit and after the intervention with the 13-item PAM®. Additional, patient characteristics and health status were measured with the Nijmegen Clinical Screening Instrument (NCSI), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and COPD Clinical Questionnaire (CCQ).

Results

Fifty percent of the patients with asthma and seventy percent of the patients with COPD had low levels of activation at baseline (PAM level 1-2). Baseline PAM scores could be explained in patients with asthma for 7% by number of severe problems in health status. And for 18% in patients with COPD by number of severe problems, age and employment status. After the intervention both groups significantly improved on the PAM (T0: 56.0 ± 13.1 vs. T1:63.3 ± 14.0 in asthma, and T0: 50.0 ± 8.8 vs. 58.4 ± 11.1 in COPD). Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that only 24% of the change in score could be explained by baseline PAM score and being employed in patients with asthma, and 18% of the variance in change score could be predicted by baseline PAM score in COPD.

Conclusion

The present study showed that low level of activation is a common feature in patients with asthma and COPD. With a relatively short and seemingly simple intervention patients can reach higher levels of patient activation, which is a prerequisite for adopting self-management techniques in daily life.

Real-World Treatment of Patients Newly Diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Retrospective German Claims Data Analysis

Purpose

This study aimed to describe the real-world treatment of German incident COPD patients, compare that treatment with clinical guidelines, and provide insight into disease development after incident diagnosis. In addition, the economic burden of the disease by assessing COPD-related healthcare costs was described.

Patients and Methods

Based on a German claims dataset, continuously insured individuals (04/2014-03/2019) aged 40 years or older with at least two incident pulmonologist's diagnoses or one inpatient diagnosis of COPD (ICD-10-GM code J44.-; no respective diagnosis in a 12-month baseline period) were selected. Treatment patterns after incident diagnosis considering inhaled maintenance therapies identified by ATC codes (outpatient prescriptions) were analyzed. Prescription patterns were compared with recommendations of German COPD treatment guidelines. Severe exacerbations were assessed as hospitalizations with main diagnosis ICD-10-GM code J44.1. COPD-associated costs from the perspective of the health insurance fund AOK PLUS were calculated per patient-year (PY).

Results

The sample comprised 17,464 incident COPD patients with a mean age of 71.5 years. 58.9% were male and the mean Charlson-Comorbidity-Index was 5.3. During follow-up (median: 2.0 years), 57.1% of the patients received at least one prescription of an inhaled maintenance therapy, whereas 42.9% did not. Among treated patients, 35.2% started their treatment with LABA/LAMA, 25.3% with LAMA monotherapy, 16.2% with LABA/ICS, and 7.8% with LABA/LAMA/ICS therapy. Within four weeks after initial diagnosis, ICS-containing therapies were prescribed in 14.1% of patients. Of all patients with a prescribed triple therapy, 68.9% had no corresponding exacerbation history documented. On average, 0.16 severe exacerbations and 0.19 COPD-related hospitalizations were observed per PY during available follow-up. Direct COPD-related costs were 3,693 €/PY, with COPD-related hospitalizations being responsible for about 79.2% of these costs.

Conclusion

Long-acting bronchodilators are the mainstay of pharmacological treatment of incident COPD patients in Germany, in line with guideline recommendations. Yet, a considerable proportion of incident COPD patients did not receive any inhaled maintenance therapy.

Self-Reported Overall Adherence and Correct Inhalation Technique Discordance in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Population

Background: Adherence to inhaled medication constitutes a major problem in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) globally. However, large studies evaluating adherence in its entirety and capturing a large variety of potentially associated factors are still lacking.

Objective: To study both elementary types of adherence to chronic inhaled COPD medication in “real-life” COPD patients and to assess relationships with a wide-ranging spectrum of clinical parameters.

Methods: Data from the Czech Multicentre Research Database (CMRD) of COPD, an observational prospective study, were used. Overall adherence (OA) was evaluated with Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (©MMAS-4) and adherence to an application technique (A-ApplT) with the Five Steps Assessment. Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression were used to explore relationships between variables.

Results: Data of 546 participants (69.6% of all patients from the CMRD) were analyzed. Two-thirds self-reported optimal OA, but only less than one-third demonstrated A-ApplT without any error. OA did not correlate with A-ApplT. Next, better OA was associated with higher education, a higher number of inhalers, a lower rate of exacerbations, poorer lung function, higher degree of upper respiratory tract symptoms (SNOT-22), absence of depressive symptoms, ex-smoking status, regular mouthwash after inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), and flu vaccination. By contrast, better A-ApplT was associated with a lower number of inhalers, better lung function, and regular mouthwash after ICS. Independent predictors of nonoptimal OA included lower degree of education, absence of flu vaccination, anemia, depression, and peptic ulcer history, whereas independent predictors of lower A-ApplT were lower education, absence of regular mouthwash after ICS, and higher COPD Assessment Test score.

Conclusions: Parameters associated with OA and A-ApplT differ, and those associated with both adherence domains are sometimes associated inversely. Based on this finding, we understand these as two separate constructs with an overlap.

Pharmacologic Management Strategies of Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap

The best therapeutic approach to patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap (ACO) is unknown. Current treatment recommendations rely on expert opinions, roundtable discussions, and strategy documents, because patients with ACO have been excluded from most clinical studies in asthma and COPD. Because of the underlying asthma initial therapy, early use of inhaled corticosteroids along with a long-acting bronchodilator is recommended. If maintenance inhaler therapy is not effective, advanced therapies based on phenotyping and identification of treatable traits may be considered.

Aminophylline Induces Two Types of Arrhythmic Events in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Cardiac side effects of some pulmonary drugs are observed in clinical practice. Aminophylline, a methylxanthine bronchodilator with documented proarrhythmic action, may serve as an example. Data on the action of aminophylline on cardiac cell electrophysiology and contractility are not available. Hence, this study was focused on the analysis of changes in the beat rate and contraction force of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) and HL-1 cardiomyocytes in the presence of increasing concentrations of aminophylline (10 µM-10 mM in hPSC-CM and 8-512 µM in HL-1 cardiomyocytes). Basic biomedical parameters, namely, the beat rate (BR) and contraction force, were assessed in hPSC-CMs using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The beat rate changes under aminophylline were also examined on the HL-1 cardiac muscle cell line via a multielectrode array (MEA). Additionally, calcium imaging was used to evaluate the effect of aminophylline on intracellular Ca2+ dynamics in HL-1 cardiomyocytes. The BR was significantly increased after the application of aminophylline both in hPSC-CMs (with 10 mM aminophylline) and in HL-1 cardiomyocytes (with 256 and 512 µM aminophylline) in comparison with controls. A significant increase in the contraction force was also observed in hPSC-CMs with 10 µM aminophylline (a similar trend was visible at higher concentrations as well). We demonstrated that all aminophylline concentrations significantly increased the frequency of rhythm irregularities (extreme interbeat intervals) both in hPSC-CMs and HL-1 cells. The occurrence of the calcium sparks in HL-1 cardiomyocytes was significantly increased with the presence of 512 µM aminophylline. We conclude that the observed aberrant cardiomyocyte response to aminophylline suggests an arrhythmogenic potential of the drug. The acquired data represent a missing link between the arrhythmic events related to the aminophylline/theophylline treatment in clinical practice and describe cellular mechanisms of methylxanthine arrhythmogenesis. An AFM combined with hPSC-CMs may serve as a robust platform for direct drug effect screening.

Recommendations for COPD management in Central and Eastern Europe

INTRODUCTION

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy report provides guidance on effective management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to local healthcare systems. However, COPD is a heterogenous disease and certain aspects, including prevalence, disease-time course and phenotype distribution, can differ between countries. Moreover, features of clinical practice and healthcare systems for COPD patients can vary widely, even in geographically close and economically similar countries.

AREAS COVERED

Based on an initial workshop of respiratory physicians from eleven countries across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in December 2018 and subsequent discussions, this article offers region-specific insights from clinical practice and healthcare systems in CEE. Taking GOLD 2020 recommendations into account, we suggest approaches to adapt these into national clinical guidelines for COPD management in CEE.

EXPERT OPINION

Several factors should be considered when optimizing management of COPD in CEE compared with other regions, including differences in smoking status, vaccination uptake, prevalence of tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria, and variations in healthcare systems. We provide guidance and algorithms for pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of COPD for the following scenarios: initial and follow-up treatment, treatment of patients with frequent exacerbations, and withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids where appropriate.

Treatable Traits in COPD - A Proposed Approach

The well-recognized individual heterogeneity within COPD patients has led to a growing interest in greater personalization in the approach of these patients. Thus, the treatable traits strategy has been proposed as a further step towards precision medicine in the management of chronic airway disease, both in stable phase and acute exacerbations. The aim of this paper is to perform a critical review on the treatable traits strategy and propose a guide to approach COPD patients in the light of this new concept. An innovative stepwise approach is proposed - a multidisciplinary model based on two distinct phases, with the potential to be implemented in both primary care and hospital settings. The first phase is the initial and focused assessment of a selected subset of treatable traits, which should be addressed in all COPD patients in both settings (primary care and hospital). As some patients may present with advanced disease at diagnosis or may progress despite this initial treatment requiring a more specialized assessment, they should progress to a second phase, in which a broader approach is recommended. Beyond stable COPD, we explore how the treatable traits strategy may be applied to reduce the risk of future exacerbations and improve the management of COPD exacerbations. Since many treatable traits have already been related to exacerbation risk, the strategy proposed here represents an opportunity to be proactive. Although it still lacks prospective validation, we believe this is the way forward for the future of the COPD approach.

The Relation Between Clinical Phenotypes, GOLD Groups/Stages and Mortality in COPD Patients - A Prospective Multicenter Study

Introduction

The concept of phenotyping emerged, reflecting specific clinical, pulmonary and extrapulmonary features of each particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) case. Our aim was to analyze prognostic utility of: “Czech“ COPD phenotypes and their most frequent combinations, ”Spanish” phenotypes and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages + groups in relation to long-term mortality risk.

Methods

Data were extracted from the Czech Multicenter Research Database (CMRD) of COPD. Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimates (at 60 months from inclusion) were used for mortality assessment. Survival rates were calculated for the six elementary “Czech” phenotypes and their most frequent and relevant combinations, “Spanish” phenotypes, GOLD grades and groups. Statistically significant differences were tested by Log Rank test. An analysis of factors underlying mortality risk (the role of confounders) has been assessed with the use of classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Basic factors showing significant differences between deceased and living patients were entered into the CART model. This showed six different risk groups, the differences in risk were tested by a Log Rank test.

Results

The cohort (n=720) was 73.1% men, with a mean age of 66.6 years and mean FEV₁ 44.4% pred. KM estimates showed bronchiectases/COPD overlap (HR 1.425, p=0.045), frequent exacerbator (HR 1.58, p<0.001), cachexia (HR 2.262, p<0.001) and emphysematous (HR 1.786, p=0.015) phenotypes associated with higher mortality risk. Co-presence of multiple phenotypes in a single patient had additive effect on risk; combination of emphysema, cachexia and frequent exacerbations translated into poorest prognosis (HR 3.075; p<0.001). Of the “Spanish” phenotypes, AE CB and AE non-CB were associated with greater risk of mortality (HR 1.787 and 2.001; both p=0.001). FEV₁% pred., cachexia and chronic heart failure in patient history were the major underlying factors determining mortality risk in our cohort.

Conclusion

Certain phenotypes (“Czech” or “Spanish”) of COPD are associated with higher risk of death. Co-presence of multiple phenotypes (emphysematous plus cachectic plus frequent exacerbator) in a single individual was associated with amplified risk of mortality.

Dual versus monotherapy with bronchodilators in GOLD group B COPD patients according to baseline FEV1 level: a patient-level pooled analysis of phase-3 randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Which patients should receive dual therapy as initial treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is only loosely defined. We evaluated if a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) identifies a population more likely to benefit from dual therapy than monotherapy among group B COPD patients in whom Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD) recommends monotherapy as initial treatment.

METHODS

This was a patient-level pooled analysis of phase-3 randomized controlled trials involving dual bronchodilators. Study patients were classified into two groups based on the FEV1 of 50% of the predicted value (GOLD I/II versus GOLD III/IV). We evaluated the efficacy of dual versus monotherapy (long-acting beta-2 agonist [LABA] or long-acting muscarinic antagonist [LAMA]) between these two groups in the following outcomes: changes in trough FEV1, the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, the proportion of SGRQ responders, time to first exacerbation, and risk of adverse events.

RESULTS

A total of 14,449 group B patients from 12 studies were divided into GOLD III/IV (n = 8043) or GOLD I/II group (n = 6406). In the GOLD III/IV group, dual therapy was significantly more effective in improving FEV1, reducing SGRQ scores, and achieving a higher proportion of SGRQ responders compared with either LABA or LAMA. Dual therapy also showed a significantly longer time to first exacerbation compared with LABA in the GOLD III/IV group. In contrast, in the GOLD I/II group, the benefits of dual therapy over monotherapy were less consistent. Although dual therapy resulted in significantly higher FEV1 than either LABA or LAMA, it did not show significant differences in the SGRQ score and proportion of SGRQ responders as compared with LABA. The time to first exacerbation was also not significantly different between dual therapy and either LABA or LAMA in the GOLD I/II group.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual therapy demonstrated benefits over monotherapy more consistently in patients with lower FEV1 than those with higher FEV1.