Dyslipidaemia and other cardiovascular risk factors in relation to manifest cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Canary Islands. / Relación entre la dislipidemia y otros factores de riesgo cardiovasculares conocidos con la presencia de enfermedad cardiovascular en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica de las Islas Canarias.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease has a negative impact on the vital prognosis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where dyslipidaemia (DLP) and arterial hypertension (AHT) are considered the most prevalent risk factors. The objective of this study was 1) to assess the relationship between diagnosed DLP and cardiovascular disease in COPD patients and compare it with other known cardiovascular risk factors and 2) to determine the relationship between the different cardiovascular comorbidities and the severity groups according to the GOLD 2017 classification. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was performed in 454 outpatients with COPD during their follow up. We calculated the prevalence of each of the cardiovascular comorbidities and the probability of each of the cardiovascular risk factors to occur jointly with a vascular disease (RRij). RESULTS: A total of 66.7% of the patients had DLP, whereby DLP was related to cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) (RRij 1.36, P=.0054), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (RRij 1.34, P=.00023), and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (RRij 1.38, P=.00015). AHT was mostly related to CVA (RRij 1.41, P=.0014) and CKD (RRij 1.42, P<.0001). Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) correlated with PAD (RRij 1.90, P=.0001), heart failure (HF) (RRij 1,74, P=.0002), and CKD (RRij 1.76, P<.0001), and obesity was associated with HF (RRij 1.60, P=.0009) and CKD (RRij 1.54, P=.0001). CONCLUSION: DLP was related to CVA, CKD, and PAD. AHT and T2DM are the conditions that mostly relate to HF and CVA.

Applicability of the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Analysis in standard clinical practice conditions. / Aplicabilidad del score COPD-LUCSS-DLCO en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica: análisis en condiciones de práctica clínica habitual.

INTRODUCTION: The COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score had been validated as a predictive tool capable of identifying patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a high mortality risk associated with lung cancer (LC); however, studies have not been conducted yet on its use in standard clinical practice. The aim of this study was to estimate the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO scores for patients with COPD treated in Pulmonology consultations and to determine the incidence of LC in each of the subgroups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted with a cohort of 159 patients with COPD in Pulmonology outpatient follow-up consultations. We calculated the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score (0-8) for each patient, with low risk considered at 0-3 points and high risk at ≥3.5 points. We calculated the incidence rate of LC in each of the subgroups. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of the patients had a high-risk score. We estimated an overall LC rate of 30 per 1000 patients with COPD-year (95% CI: 16-53), 44 per 1000 patients with COPD-year (95% CI: 18-76) among those categorised as high risk and 17 per 1000 patients with COPD-year among those categorised as low risk (95% CI: 4-50). CONCLUSIONS: The use of the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score in standard clinical practice could help detect patients with a greater risk of developing LC, which could help to better manage cases in an LC screening programme.

Clinical characteristics of COPD patients with early-onset desaturation in the 6-minute walk test.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced desaturation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently has prognostic implications. Desaturation within the first minute of the walk 6-minute walk test will probably also occur in daily life activities and translate into hypoxaemic respiratory failure at rest in later years. This study aimed at comparing these patients with those who desaturate after the first minute and determine potential markers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study collecting data on respiratory function tests, cardiovascular comorbidity, body mass index, pack-year index, 6-minute walk test outcomes, BODE index, and Charlson comorbidity index. Patients who desaturated during the first minute of the test were referred to as early desaturators compared to the non-early ones. RESULTS: We observed a higher mean body mass index in early desaturating patients, and an inverse relation as to the body mass index categories <25, 25-29, and ≥30. Early desaturators had a lower FEV1/FVC index. The mean distance walked in the test was shorter in early than in non-early desaturators, and they desaturated more deeply. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity, as determined by body mass index, seem to behave like markers for early desaturation. This simple anthropometric measure might indicate point to potential early desaturation in COPD patients.

Incidence of cancer in outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. / Incidencia de cáncer en pacientes ambulatorios con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the overall incidence of cancer is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyse the incidence of cancer (pulmonary or extrapulmonary) in patients with COPD during follow-up in a specialised outpatient unit, as well as to assess its relationship with the degree of airflow obstruction. METHODOLOGY: A prospective observational study was conducted with a cohort of 308 patients with COPD in pulmonology outpatient follow-up consultations from January 2012 to December 2015. The diagnosed malignancies during this period were divided into pulmonary and extrapulmonary. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of cancer, lung cancer and extrapulmonary cancer were 10.3, 3.4 and 7.3 cases per 1,000 patients with COPD per year, respectively. The most common cancers were lung cancer (31%), genitourinary tract cancer (29%) and gastrointestinal cancer (21%). Mild-moderate stages (gradeI-II of the 2009 GOLD classification) and the increase in the pack-year index (PYI) were related to an increase in the onset of malignancies, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.16 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.087-4.309; P=.026) and 1.01 (95% CI: 1.002-1.031; P=.023), respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence of extrapulmonary cancer in patients with COPD was twice that of lung cancer; stagesI-II of the 2009 GOLD classification and the PYI were significantly related to the onset of malignancies.

[The nutritional status and respiratory function of patients diagnosed with COPD]. / Estado nutricional y función respiratoria en pacientes diagnosticados de EPOC.

Given that patients affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease show a progressive weight loss, and the great socioeconomic repercussions of these diseases due to their high incidence in the general population, we started this study with the objective of analyzing the possible connection between the nutritional state and the ventilatory function of a group of patients from our midst, who did not have continuous oxygen therapy at home. We studied a total of 43 patients who had been diagnosed with COPD (excluding those with a BMI < 32), evaluating anthropometric, biochemical and pulmonary function parameters. Among the obtained results, it should be noted that 84% of the patients were normally nourished and only 16% were undernourished. In the lung function analysis, we found a pattern of air flow obstruction. We found a significant correlation between the nutritional state and the type of COPD (p < 0.01), with the emphysematous patients being more undernourished than those suffering from bronchial disease. We also found a significant correlation between the types of COPD and the levels of prealbumin, RBP and albumin, and a positive correlation between the evolution time of the disease and the levels of albumin, PO2 and FEV1. With the obtained results, we do not consider it necessary to establish a nutritional support protocol in ambulatory patients suffering from COPD, whose conditions are similar to those of the patients in our study group.

[Histiocytosis X and ankylosing spondylitis. A common pathogenesis?]. / Histiocitosis X y espondilitis anquilosante. Patogenia común?

Histiocytosis X is considered a group of diseases of unknown origin. Nevertheless, the presence of certain lymphocytes disorders and immunocomplexes has permitted us to think that it is an immunologic disease. The ankylosing spondylitis is also a disease of unknown origin, but like the histiocytosis X, might be of immunologic origin. In both entities, a defect of T-lymphocytes has been demonstrated. We present a patient in whom both diseases are associated, which is not reported before in the medical literature. We think that these disorders may be related by a common immunologic alteration.

[Current status of lung transplantation]. / Situación actual del trasplante de pulmón.

Lung transplant has started to develop clinically during the last decade being a valid alternative for a great number of pulmonary diseases. A review of the three types of transplant is presented: single lung, double lung, and heart-lung transplant. We specially point out the indications of those surgical procedures. Furthermore, we expose the attitude towards most of the post-surgery problems: post-surgical follow up, immunosuppression therapy, diagnosis and treatment of graft rejection, main opportunistic infections as well as obliterans bronchiolitis, which is the long term most important complication.