The Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome: A Common Clinical Problem in the Elderly

摘要: Many patients with breathlessness and chronic obstructive lung disease are diagnosed either asthma, COPD, or—frequently—mixed disease. More commonly, uncharacterized treated therapies that target asthma COPD rather than one of these diseases. This common practice represents the difficulty in distinguishing disorders clinically, particularly a history does not easily differentiate from COPD. A clinical scenario is an older former smoker partially reversible or fixed airflow obstruction evidence atopy, demonstrating “overlap” features We stress asthma-COPD overlap syndrome becomes more prevalent advancing age as respond less favorably to guideline-recommended drug therapy. review similarities differences characteristics between disorders, their physiologic inflammatory profiles within context aging patient. underscore difficulties differentiating current smokers, share our institutional experience syndrome, highlight need for new research better characterize investigate this important phenotype.