Examining the impact of obstructive sleep apnea on cognitive function in severe COPD.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive function in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Patients with severe COPD, who had not previously been diagnosed with OSA, were recruited between January 2021 and January 2023. To evaluate cognitive function, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a continuous reaction time test (CRT) and a driving simulator were used.

Using a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure to Assess Physical, Psychosocial, and Existential Issues in COPD.

: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is marked by severe physical symptoms, impaired quality of life, and high psychological distress. Despite its impact, the identification of not only physical but also psychosocial and existential issues in the clinic lags behind that of other patient groups. : This study aimed to assess physical, psychosocial, and existential issues among patients with COPD using a patient-reported outcome measure for general palliative care (the 'PRO-Pall') in a Danish outpatient clinic.

Unveiling the burden of COPD: perspectives on a patient-reported outcome measure to support communication in outpatient consultations-an interview study among patients.

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) profoundly affects physical, psychological, and social aspects of life, yet these issues often remain unaddressed. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROM) have the potential to address these issues by promoting person-centered communication. However, their impact in COPD practice remains uncertain.

Changes in COPD-related anxiety symptoms during pulmonary rehabilitation: a prospective quantitative and qualitative study.

Background: Fear-avoidance in COPD can have detrimental effects on pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) outcomes and is therefore important to address. This prospective study examined changes in and management of COPD-related anxiety symptoms over the course of a PR program.

Methods: Patients with COPD referred to 9-weeks of PR in the municipality of Vejle, Denmark from January to December 2022 completed a six-minute walk test (6MWT) and the following questionnaires, both before and after PR: COPD Anxiety Questionnaire 20-item version (CAF-R), measuring COPD-related anxiety; COPD Assessment Test (CAT), measuring COPD-related disability; 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), measuring health-related quality of life (HR-QoL); sociodemographic and disease-related information.

The Use of Podcasts as Patient Preparation for Hospital Visits-An Interview Study Exploring Patients' Experiences.

Introduction: Podcasts have emerged as a promising tool in patient preparation for hospital visits. However, the nuanced experiences of patients who engage with this medium remain underexplored.

Objectives: This study explored patients' experiences of receiving information by way of podcasts prior to their hospital visits.

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This review delves into the application and effectiveness of Very Brief Advice (VBA) for smoking cessation in Denmark's healthcare system. Despite some evidence, VBA's support remains limited, adopted by only a few hospitals and overlooked by many healthcare professionals. To enhance cessation efforts, we recommend elevating its status from optional to mandatory.

Risk of depression and anxiety in 7.302 patients with sarcoidosis: a nationwide cohort study.

Background And Aim: The aim was to investigate the association between sarcoidosis and anxiety and/or depression (A/D) in patients with sarcoidosis and comparators matched on age, gender, residency, and cohabitation status.

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis between 2001 and 2015 were identified in the Danish National Patient Register. Cases were matched 1:4 with non-sarcoidosis comparators.

Barriers to implementation of smoking cessation support among healthcare professionals in the secondary healthcare sector: A qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

Introduction: Smoking cessation support (SCS) in the hospital is essential; patients often struggle to maintain quit attempts, which necessitates assistance from healthcare professionals (HCPs). However, unknown barriers can obstruct the implementation of SCS in hospitals. This study aims to uncover barriers to the implementation of SCS in psychiatric, somatic, inpatient, and outpatient hospital settings.

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Cranial and large vessel giant cell arteritis is a systemic vasculitis frequently found in Denmark. In recent years, considerable new knowledge has been gained in the field of diagnostics and treatment of giant cell arteritis. In this review, the clinical and radiological findings, treatment options and effect and side effects of treatment with tocilizumab are reviewed in a Danish context.

Endobronchial valve treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A qualitative study of patients' expectations.

Objectives: Endobronchial valve (EBV) treatment is a treatment option for selected patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to reduce dyspnea and improve quality of life. However, the procedure is associated with risk of complications, and not all patients achieve the expected outcomes. The present study explores patients' expectations while waiting for EBV treatment.

COPD and Smoking Status - It Does Matter: Characteristics and Prognosis of COPD According to Smoking Status.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic, often progressive disease, which in most patients is caused by tobacco smoking. Our study focuses on differences in COPD-related outcomes between never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers.

Methods: A nationwide, population-based cohort study utilizing Danish health registries.

The Association Between Cognitive Functions and Psychological Factors in Patients with Severe COPD.

Purpose: Patients with COPD experience anxiety, depression, and stress more frequently than in the age and gender-matched general population. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive functions and the psychological factors of anxiety, depression and stress among patients with COPD.

Patients And Methods: Between January 2021 and January 2023, patients with severe COPD were recruited, along with age-matched controls.

A survey exploring the practices of smoking cessation support among hospital-based healthcare providers.

Background: Hospital visits constitute a 'window of opportunity' for initiating smoking cessation attempts, and healthcare providers (HCPs) play an important role in supporting patients to stop smoking. Yet, the current practices of supporting smoking cessation in the hospital setting are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to explore practices of smoking cessation support among hospital-based HCPs.

COPD-Related Anxiety: A Systematic Review of Patient Perspectives.

Background: Anxiety in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is prevalent but often unidentified and therefore not adequately managed. Clinicians find it difficult to detect anxiety symptoms and to differentiate subclinical anxiety from anxiety disorders, because of the considerable overlap between symptoms of COPD and anxiety.

Purpose: We synthesized existing qualitative research on patients' experiences of COPD-related anxiety with the purpose of gaining a richer understanding and proposing a model of the construct.

Nonpharmacological management of psychological distress in people with COPD.

Psychological distress is prevalent in people with COPD and relates to a worse course of disease. It often remains unrecognised and untreated, intensifying the burden on patients, carers and healthcare systems. Nonpharmacological management strategies have been suggested as important elements to manage psychological distress in COPD.

Comparing the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in head-to-head randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis of equivalence.

Background: While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recommended as first-line treatment for depression, a significant minority do not show an adequate treatment response. Despite evidence for the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Therapies (MBT) both in treating current depression and preventing relapse, it remains unknown whether MBT and CBT are equivalent in the treatment of current depression.

Methods: Five databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) directly comparing MBT with CBT and including depression as primary or secondary outcome.

[Smoking cessation and drug interactions].

Tobacco smoke can cause drug interactions by induction of CYP1A2, which metabolizes drugs like clozapine, olanzapine and theophylline. This means that smokers need higher doses to achieve the same plasma concentrations as non-smokers. Furthermore, smoking cessation can cause an increase in plasma concentrations of drugs metabolised by CYP1A2, which in turn may lead to adverse effects.

Disease-Specific Anxiety in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Translation and Initial Validation of a Questionnaire.

Background: Commonly applied measures of symptoms of anxiety are not sensitive to disease-specific anxiety in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is a need for validated instruments measuring COPD-specific anxiety. Therefore, we translated the COPD-Anxiety Questionnaire (CAF) into Danish (CAF-R-DK) and performed an initial validation of the psychometric properties in a sample of patients with COPD.

Group-based compassion-focused therapy for prolonged grief symptoms in adults - Results from a randomized controlled trial.

Prolonged grief disorder is a debilitating condition, which affects approximately one out of ten who lose a loved one. While existing meta-analyses have synthesized evidence regarding the overall effect of psychological interventions for pathological grief across different types of psychotherapy, it remains clinically relevant to explore whether specific types of psychological interventions are efficacious in the treatment of grief. The present study investigated the efficacy of group-based Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) for adults who had lost a spouse or a parent, and who reported clinically relevant levels of prolonged grief symptoms (PGS) at 11 months post-loss.

ERS International Congress 2021: highlights from the Allied Respiratory Professionals assembly.

This paper provides an overview of some of the most memorable sessions that were (co)organised by the Allied Respiratory Professionals Assembly during the 2021 European Respiratory Society International Congress, which was held online for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early Career Members from Assembly 9 summarised the content of the sessions (three oral communication sessions, two symposia and one Expert View) with the support of the chairs from the four Assembly groups: Respiratory Function Technologists and Scientists (Group 9.01); Physiotherapists (Group 9.

Sexual Health in COPD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

COPD has a profound impact on the lives of patients and their partners, but the influence on physical, psychological and social aspects of sexual health has not been reviewed systematically. Searches for studies of the impact of COPD on sexual health were conducted independently by two authors in the databases of PubMed, PsycINFO, Embases, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and The Cochrane Library. English-language quantitative and qualitative studies assessing one or more aspects of sexual health in patients diagnosed with COPD were narratively reviewed and, when possible, subjected to meta-analytic evaluation.

Psychosocial Intervention in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: Many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience persistent interrelated psychological and physical symptoms despite optimal treatment. Several studies of psychosocial intervention in COPD have been published in recent years. The present study aimed to conduct a quantitative summary of the efficacy of such interventions on psychological and physical outcomes.