Primary Care Reports – November 1, 2015
November 1, 2015
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Update
Over the past decade, this definition of COPD has changed dramatically, as has the characterization and treatment of individuals with COPD. Multiple new therapies alter the course of this disease, reduce exacerbations, improve quality of life, and increase survival; previous nihilistic approaches to the management of COPD have been replaced by directed and effective pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies. This update will review current approaches to the diagnosis and management of COPD and present the most recent evidence for the classification of COPD phenotypes and the implications of these categories for COPD treatment and prognosis.