The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-asthma overlap syndrome.

When asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occur together the term COPD-asthma overlap syndrome has been applied. To date, there is no universally accepted definition of this overlap syndrome, just as there is no blood test or other technologic assessment that provides a simple way to distinguish asthma from COPD. One practical approach to the overlap diagnosis has been to include patients with a diagnosis of COPD by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria and asthma defined by subject report of a physician diagnosis of asthma before the age of 40 years. Alternatively, it includes patients who meet criteria for COPD (fixed airflow obstruction) and who also have typical features of asthma (wheezing, atopy, eosinophilia, and positive bronchodilator response on spirometry). Compared with patients with COPD alone, the overlap patients are younger with less smoking intensity, have higher health-care utilization, have a worse disease-related quality of life, and have a higher mortality. Treatment with corticosteroids earlier in the course of the disease compared with the patient with only COPD has been recommended.

[1]  B. Burrows,et al.  Comparisons of asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis diagnoses in a general population sample. , 2015, The American review of respiratory disease.

[2]  S. Beavers,et al.  Active Asthma and the Prevalence of Physician-Diagnosed COPD , 2014, Lung.

[3]  Edwin J R van Beek,et al.  The clinical and genetic features of COPD-asthma overlap syndrome , 2014, European Respiratory Journal.

[4]  G. Valdivia,et al.  Increased risk of exacerbation and hospitalization in subjects with an overlap phenotype: COPD-asthma. , 2014, Chest.

[5]  Jing Gao,et al.  Differences in plasma and sputum biomarkers between COPD and COPD–asthma overlap , 2013, European Respiratory Journal.

[6]  D. Mannino,et al.  COPD Surveillance—United States, 1999-2011 , 2013, Chest.

[7]  B. Morrissey,et al.  The asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome: pharmacotherapeutic considerations , 2013, Expert review of clinical pharmacology.

[8]  L. Akinbami,et al.  National surveillance of asthma: United States, 2001-2010. , 2012, Vital & health statistics. Series 3, Analytical and epidemiological studies.

[9]  J. Soriano,et al.  Consensus document on the overlap phenotype COPD-asthma in COPD. , 2012, Archivos de bronconeumologia.

[10]  M. Miravitlles,et al.  The overlap phenotype: the (missing) link between asthma and COPD , 2012, Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine.

[11]  D. Cockcroft,et al.  Past, present and future uses of methacholine testing , 2012, Expert review of respiratory medicine.

[12]  K. Kubo,et al.  Sputum eosinophilia can predict responsiveness to inhaled corticosteroid treatment in patients with overlap syndrome of COPD and asthma , 2012, International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

[13]  M. Weatherall,et al.  Towards individualised medicine for airways disease: identifying clinical phenotype groups , 2012, European Respiratory Journal.

[14]  M. Schivo,et al.  The Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome: A Common Clinical Problem in the Elderly , 2011, Journal of allergy.

[15]  Joyce D. Schroeder,et al.  The clinical features of the overlap between COPD and asthma , 2011, Respiratory research.

[16]  D. Postma,et al.  Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: common genes, common environments? , 2011, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[17]  J. Walusiak‐Skorupa,et al.  Faculty Opinions recommendation of COPD in never smokers: results from the population-based burden of obstructive lung disease study. , 2011 .

[18]  L. Fabbri,et al.  Fixed airflow obstruction due to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 5-year follow-up. , 2010, The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology.

[19]  Jon G Ayres,et al.  COPD and chronic bronchitis risk of indoor air pollution from solid fuel: a systematic review and meta-analysis , 2010, Thorax.

[20]  M. Weatherall,et al.  Time to define the disorders of the syndrome of COPD , 2009, The Lancet.

[21]  P. Gibson,et al.  The overlap syndrome of asthma and COPD: what are its features and how important is it? , 2009, Thorax.

[22]  G. Anderson,et al.  Endotyping asthma: new insights into key pathogenic mechanisms in a complex, heterogeneous disease , 2008, The Lancet.

[23]  Anand A. Dalal,et al.  Burden of concomitant asthma and COPD in a Medicaid population. , 2008, Chest.

[24]  M. Decramer,et al.  Bronchodilator responsiveness in patients with COPD , 2008, European Respiratory Journal.

[25]  D. Niewoehner,et al.  Exhaled nitric oxide, systemic inflammation, and the spirometric response to inhaled fluticasone propionate in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A prospective study , 2008, Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease.

[26]  P. Barnes,et al.  Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Systemic Effects in Mild Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease , 2007, International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology.

[27]  R. Perng,et al.  Characteristics of airway inflammation and bronchodilator reversibility in COPD: a potential guide to treatment. , 2004, Chest.

[28]  Stefano Guerra,et al.  Asthma as a risk factor for COPD in a longitudinal study. , 2004, Chest.

[29]  W. MacNee,et al.  Standards for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD: a summary of the ATS/ERS position paper , 2004, European Respiratory Journal.

[30]  P. Chanez,et al.  Can endobronchial biopsy analysis be recommended to discriminate between asthma and COPD in routine practice? , 2004, Thorax.

[31]  Joan B Soriano,et al.  The proportional Venn diagram of obstructive lung disease: two approximations from the United States and the United Kingdom. , 2003, Chest.

[32]  D. Postma,et al.  Risk factors associated with the presence of irreversible airflow limitation and reduced transfer coefficient in patients with asthma after 26 years of follow up. , 2003, Thorax.

[33]  L. Corbetta,et al.  Differences in airway inflammation in patients with fixed airflow obstruction due to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. , 2003, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[34]  F. Rasmussen,et al.  Risk factors for airway remodeling in asthma manifested by a low postbronchodilator FEV1/vital capacity ratio: a longitudinal population study from childhood to adulthood. , 2002, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[35]  D. Mannino COPD: epidemiology, prevalence, morbidity and mortality, and disease heterogeneity. , 2002, Chest.

[36]  L. Fabbri,et al.  Partial reversibility of airflow limitation and increased exhaled NO and sputum eosinophilia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. , 2000, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[37]  N. Zamel,et al.  Unsuspected pseudophysiologic emphysema in chronic persistent asthma. , 2000, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[38]  I. Pavord,et al.  Sputum eosinophilia and short-term response to prednisolone in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial , 2000, The Lancet.

[39]  N. Orie,et al.  The dutch hypothesis , 2000, Chest.

[40]  D. Postma,et al.  Asthma attacks with eosinophilia predict mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a general population sample. , 1999, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[41]  V. Backer,et al.  Nonreversible airflow obstruction in life-long nonsmokers with moderate to severe asthma. , 1999, The European respiratory journal.

[42]  C. Ulrik Outcome of asthma: longitudinal changes in lung function. , 1999, The European respiratory journal.

[43]  C. Reed The natural history of asthma in adults: the problem of irreversibility. , 1999, The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology.

[44]  J Vestbo,et al.  A 15-year follow-up study of ventilatory function in adults with asthma. , 1998, The New England journal of medicine.

[45]  P. Enright,et al.  Peak flow lability: association with asthma and spirometry in an older cohort. , 1997, Chest.

[46]  J. Stoller,et al.  Physical and social impact of alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency: results of a survey. , 1994, Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine.

[47]  P. Lange,et al.  Decline of lung function in adults with bronchial asthma. , 1994, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[48]  A. Rebuck,et al.  Is the short-term response to inhaled beta-adrenergic agonist sensitive or specific for distinguishing between asthma and COPD? , 1994, Chest.

[49]  S. Braman,et al.  Asthma in the elderly. A comparison between patients with recently acquired and long-standing disease. , 1991, The American review of respiratory disease.

[50]  A. Woolcock,et al.  Rate of decline of lung function in subjects with asthma. , 1987, European journal of respiratory diseases.

[51]  E. Schachter,et al.  A prospective study of asthma in a rural community. , 1984, Chest.

[52]  K. Finucane,et al.  Asthma and irreversible airflow obstruction. , 1984, Thorax.

[53]  H. Çalışır,et al.  Biomass smoke exposure as a serious health hazard for women. , 2013, Tuberkuloz ve toraks.

[54]  M. Dolhnikoff,et al.  Impaired lung function in individuals chronically exposed to biomass combustion. , 2012, Environmental research.

[55]  Sean Keenan,et al.  Canadian Thoracic Society recommendations for management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - 2007 update. , 2007, Canadian respiratory journal.

[56]  Charles A. Johnson,et al.  Design and baseline characteristics of the epidemiology and natural history of asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens (TENOR) study: a large cohort of patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma. , 2004, Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.

[57]  I. Grzelewska-Rzymowska,et al.  [Airway remodeling in asthma]. , 2003, Pneumonologia i alergologia polska.

[58]  J. Hankinson,et al.  Guidelines for methacholine and exercise challenge testing-1999. This official statement of the American Thoracic Society was adopted by the ATS Board of Directors, July 1999. , 2000, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[59]  J. Connett,et al.  Methacholine reactivity predicts changes in lung function over time in smokers with early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Lung Health Study Research Group. , 1996, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.