Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Outcomes and Biomarkers

Using patient-centered outcome measures and analysis, this guide evaluates new interventions for modifying the clinical course of COPD and effectively achieving an optimal level of patient prevention, treatment, and care.

It examines diverse prognostic markers and outcomes of conditions that can be classified as COPD (i.e. chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma) to ensure correct demarcation by the physician.

Topics include:

• COPD biomarkers
• early detection and pharmacologic intervention
• testing, treatment, and biological and clinical results
• components and pathological changes of COPD
• COPD patient characteristics in terms of clinical presentation, disease severity, and rate of progression
• symptoms and complications of COPD, such as degree of airflow limitation, mucus hypersecretion, airway narrowing and loss of alveoli in lungs, loss of lean body mass, cardiovascular effects, breathlessness, and decreased exercise capacity