title: POPE study: rationale and methodology of a study to phenotype patients with COPD in Central and Eastern Europe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitutes a major health challenge in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. However, clinical phenotypes, symptom load, and treatment habits of patients with COPD in CEE countries remain largely unknown. This paper provides a rationale for phenotyping COPD and describes the methodology of a large study in CEE.
  
  
  METHODS
  The POPE study is an international, multicenter, observational cross-sectional survey of patients with COPD in CEE. Participation in the study is offered to all consecutive outpatients with stable COPD in 84 centers across the CEE region if they fulfill the following criteria: age >40 years, smoking history ≥10 pack-years, a confirmed diagnosis of COPD with postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.7, and absence of COPD exacerbation ≥4 weeks. Medical history, risk factors for COPD, comorbidities, lung function parameters, symptoms, and pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical treatment are recorded. The POPE project is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier NCT02119494.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary aim of the POPE study was to phenotype patients with COPD in a real-life setting within CEE countries using predefined classifications. Secondary aims of the study included analysis of differences in symptoms, and diagnostic and therapeutic behavior in participating CEE countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is increasing acceptance toward a phenotype-driven therapeutic approach in COPD. The POPE study may contribute to reveal important information regarding phenotypes and therapy in real-life CEE.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zbozinkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Ruzena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tkacova
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for COPD and Respiratory Epidemiology, Otto-Wagner-Spital, Wien, Austria.
authors.forename: Arschang
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valipour
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine Zagreb, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Neven
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tudoric
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pulmonology, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry named after A.I. Evdokimov, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Kirill
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zykov
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, University of Szeged, Deszk, Hungary.
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Somfay
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miravitlles
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koblizek
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000235:genetics*; D012107:Research Design
keywords: COPD; Central Europe; Eastern Europe; GOLD; comorbidity; phenotypes; study