Publications

Respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) measured by oscillometry and their intra-breath changes have emerged as sensitive parameters for detecting early pathological impairments during tidal breathing.
Abnormal oscillometry parameters are present in 1/5 of this adult population and are significantly associated with respiratory symptoms and disease. Our findings underscore the potential of oscillometry as a tool for detecting and evaluating respiratory impairments, even in individuals with normal spirometry.

The use of maintenance medication in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in real life is known to deviate from recommendations in guidelines, which are largely based on randomized controlled trials and selected populations.
Using data from a large, close to real-life observational cohort, we identified factors linked to the use of various types of respiratory COPD medication. Overall, use was consistent with GOLD recommendations. Beyond this, we identified other correlates of medication use that may help us to understand and improve therapy decisions in clinical practice.

There is a significant heterogeneity in the definitions and nomenclature used for low lung function. The most widely used term, “restrictive spirometry” (RSP), is defined by the presence of a low vital capacity (FVC) with a preserved forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/FVC ratio.
The LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) Study; NCT01727518; http://clinicaltrials.gov) is a
single-centred longitudinal, observational, population-based cohort study. In the first study phase (2012 to 2016) a randomized stratified sample population (stratified by age, sex, and residential area) of 11,423 subjects (females 52.4%), aged 6-82 years, from Vienna and lower Austria has been investigated.

Restrictive lung function (RLF) is characterized by a reduced lung expansion and size. In the absence of lung volume measurements, restriction can be indirectly assessed with restrictive spirometric patterns (RSP) by spirometry.
Pre-bronchodilation lung function data of 8891 subjects (48.0% male, age 6–82 years) have been collected in the LEAD Study, a population-based study from Vienna, Austria. The cohort was categorized in the following groups based on the Global Lung Initiative reference equations: normal subjects, RLF (TLC <lower limit of normal (LLN)), RSP (FEV1/FVC ≥LLN and a FVC <LLN), RSP only (RSP with TLC ≥LLN). Normal subjects were considered those with FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC and TLC between LLN and ULN (upper limit of normal).
The prevalence of true restrictive lung function and RSP in the Austrian general population is lower than previously estimated. Our data confirm the need for direct lung volume measurement to diagnose true restrictive lung function.

Dyspnea is a commonly described symptom in various chronic and acute conditions. Despite its frequency, relatively little is known about the prevalence and assessment of dyspnea in general populations. The aims of this review were:

1. to estimate the prevalence of dyspnea in general adult populations;
2. to identify associated factors; and
3. to identify used methods for dyspnea assessment.

Dyspnea is a common symptom in adults in high-income countries. However, the high heterogeneity across studies and the lack of data from low- and middle-income countries limit the generalizability of our findings. Therefore, more research is needed to unveil the prevalence of dyspnea and its main risk factors in general populations around the world.

It is now well established that there are different life-long lung function trajectories in the general population, and that some are associated with better or worse health outcomes. Yet, the prevalence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of individuals with supranormal FEV or FVC values (above the upper-limit of normal [ULN]) in different age-bins through the lifetime in the general population are poorly understood.

To address these questions, we investigated the prevalence of supranormal FEV and FVC values in the LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl and boDy) study, a general population cohort in Austria that includes participants from 6 to 82 years of age.

Rationale Structural airway changes related to chroniccough (CC) are described in the literature, but so farreported data are rare and non-conclusive. Furthermore,they derive mainly from cohorts with small sample sizes.Advanced CT imaging not only allows airway abnormalitiesto be quantified, but also to count the number of visibleairways. The current study evaluates these airwayabnormalities in CC and assesses the contribution of CCin addition to CT findings on the progression of airflowlimitation, defined as a decline in forced expiratory volumein 1 s (FEV1) over time.

In the current publication that is part of the LEAD general population cohort, we aimed to examine the prevalence of asthma in the Austrian general population and better understand how differential asthma phenotypes present itself. Our findings reveal that the prevalence of asthma is 4.6%, which fit well with the global prevalence rates. Furthermore, asthma phenotypes were age-dependent: there was a shift from allergic to non-allergic asthma with increasing age, with a non-eosinophilc asthma being more prominent. Lastly, we observed that asthma has major association with body composition.

Restrictive lung function (RLF) is characterized by a reduced lung expansion and size, but in the absence of lung volume measurements, restriction can be indirectly assessed through spirometry with the restrictive spirometric patterns (RSP). In the current publication that is part of the LEAD Study, we evaluated the prevalence of RLF and RSP in the general population and determined factors influencing RLF and RSP. The prevalence of RLF and RSP in the general population are 1.1 and 4.4%, respectively. While RSP has a high negative predictive value, it has a low positive predictive value to define true RLF. In addition, we observed that body composition is an important determining factor of RLF and RSP. Overall, our data indicate the need to combine lung function and body composition trajectories.