Comorbidities and the risk of mortality in patients with bronchiectasis: an international multicentre cohort study

Abstract

European Bronchiectasis Network (EMBARC).

RESPIRE: breathing new life into bronchiectasis

“…What is, however, most difficult to address is the range of geographic and ethnic differences observed, a clear feature of RESPIRE 2. Asians, Europeans, Americans and indigenous populations all have different extents, aetiologies and severities of bronchiectasis, features that can no longer be ignored in view of the results from RESPIRE 2 [23][24][25][26]. Most publications to date have focused on large cohorts of bronchiectasis patients originating from Western Europe and the USA and, clearly more data is now required from Asia and Eastern Europe, a lesson well-taught by RESPIRE 2.…”

New therapies for the prevention and treatment of exacerbations of bronchiectasis

“…Co-morbidities are also important in both disease severity and the risk of exacerbations. (40,41) A recent prospective study from the EMBARC network across Europe showed that in 986 patients the strongest predictor of 5-year mortality was having multiple co-morbidities and that patients with greater high risk co-morbidities (using a newly developed and validated bronchiectasis aetiology and co-morbidity index-BACI) also had a higher frequency of exacerbations. (40) Whether this is mediated by increased systemic and airway inflammation associated with co-morbidities or whether this is due to some exacerbations being due directly to decompensated co-morbidities such as heart failure and cardiovascular disease is unclear.…”

Management of chronic airway diseases: What can we learn from real-life data?

“…Co-morbidities are common and are the strongest predictors of mortality in COPD. Recent data show that patients with bronchiectasis have an average of four co-morbid diagnoses, many of which substantially increase mortality (10).…”

“…Personalised medicine indicates the need to recognise the unique features of each individual's disease and to target therapy to those who will respond, while minimising treatment harms (10). This begins by recognising that COPD and bronchiectasis are umbrella terms that include a wide range of Underlying causes, associated co-morbidities and varying inflammatory profiles (1,10,11).…”