title: Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome in Poland. Findings of an epidemiological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent years have seen an increased interest in asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In 2012, Takeda Polska conducted a non-interventional epidemiological study aimed at identifying the typical phenotype of ACOS patients receiving pulmonary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study enrolled a total of 12,103 of smoking patients above 45 years of age (mean age: 61.5 years; mean duration of smoking: 28.4 pack-years). A total of 68.6% of patients represented the frequent-exacerbation phenotype (mean number of exacerbations during 12 months: 2.11), and 56.4% of patients from the group comprising 12,103 participants were hospitalized at least once during their lifetime due to a respiratory system disease (mean number: 3.82 ±3.76).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most commonly found asthma symptoms included paroxysmal dyspnoea with wheezing, and good response to inhaled steroids. The most frequently identified COPD-associated symptoms were: long-lasting reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (< 80% after administering a bronchodilator) and chronic productive cough. Eighty-five percent of patients were diagnosed with concomitant diseases, predominantly arterial hypertension (62.9%) and metabolic diseases (metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes - 46.4% in total).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A clinically severe course of ACOS and the presence of concomitant diseases should be regarded as factors justifying an individual selection of inhalation therapy which specifically takes into account anti-inflammatory treatment and patient safety.
authors.affiliation: Takeda Poland.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brzostek
authors.affiliation: Takeda Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kokot
keywords: asthma; asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; concomitant diseases; phenotype