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Review
. 2007 Dec;4(8):586-90.
doi: 10.1513/pats.200706-068TH.

Exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: do they contribute to disease progression?

Edwin K Silverman  1
Affiliations
Review

Exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: do they contribute to disease progression?

Edwin K Silverman. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

The impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations on decline in FEV(1) has been a controversial topic for decades. We will review some of the key studies in this area and discuss potential contributors to inconsistent results of these studies. Dissecting the heterogeneous COPD syndrome into meaningful subtypes and assessing the genetic and environmental influences on COPD-related phenotypes such as exacerbation frequency could clarify the impact of exacerbations on the natural history of COPD.

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Figures

<b>Figure 1.</b>
Figure 1.
(A) Additional factor model. Variation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation frequency could be unrelated to differences in the type of COPD, but rather to independent factors, such as genetic or environmental determinants of susceptibility to respiratory infections. (B) COPD heterogeneity model. Variation in COPD exacerbation frequency could relate to specific subtypes of COPD. For example, subjects with emphysema-predominant disease could have a different exacerbation frequency compared with subjects with airway-predominant disease.
<b>Figure 1.</b>
Figure 1.
(A) Additional factor model. Variation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation frequency could be unrelated to differences in the type of COPD, but rather to independent factors, such as genetic or environmental determinants of susceptibility to respiratory infections. (B) COPD heterogeneity model. Variation in COPD exacerbation frequency could relate to specific subtypes of COPD. For example, subjects with emphysema-predominant disease could have a different exacerbation frequency compared with subjects with airway-predominant disease.
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