ABSTRACT
La fibrosis pulmonar idiopática (FPI) se ha clasificado en enfermedad leve o temprana-moderada-severa o Avanzada, sin puntos de corte en parámetros clínicos, funcionales o imagenológicos. No existe aún consenso en cual es el principal parámetro que se debe medir. Si bien las variables funcionales como la capacidad vital forzada (CVF), capacidad de difusión de monóxido de carbono (DLCO) y test de caminata de 6 minutos se han utilizado de forma rutinaria en la practica clínica y en los principales estudios clínicos de tratamiento muchas veces no son representativos de la evolución clínica. Por lo anterior se han desarrollado, índices o puntajes compuestos como la escala GAP (Gender-Age-Physiology) que podrían ser útiles en el seguimiento de los pacientes.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been classified as mild or early - moderate - severe or advanced disease, with no cut-off points in clinical, functional or imaging parameters. There is no consensus yet on which is the main parameter to be measured although the functional variables such as forced vital capacity (FVC), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO) and 6-minute walk test, have been routinely used in clinical practice and in the main clinical studies of treatment, are often not representative of the clinical evolution. Therefore, composite indices or scores such as the GAP (Gender-Age-Physiology) scale have been developed that could be useful in the follow-up of patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnosis , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/physiopathology , Respiratory Function Tests/methods , Clinical Evolution , Risk Assessment , Cough/etiology , Dyspnea/etiologyABSTRACT
Background: Among hypertensive patients, other risk factors for mortality and morbidity, besides blood pressure, must be considered when therapeutic decisions are done. Aim: To assess the incidence and relevance of cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of patients with essential hypertension. Material and methods: A cohort of 1.072 treated patients with essential hypertension was followed for a period up to 25 years. Four hundred eighty six were men and 586 were women, age ranged from 31 to 70 years. At entry, 56 percent of subjects did not have any organic complications associated to hypertension (stage I WHO criteria), 30 percent had mild alterations (Stage II) and 14 percent had major complications (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure or renal failure). Likewise, 43.8 percent had mild, 14.5 percent, moderate and 41.7 percent, severe hypertension. Patients were treated with monotherapy or combined therapy based on diuretics, beta blockers, calcium antagonists and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. Goal of therapy was 140/90 mm Hg. Risk factors associated diseases and complications were registered carefully. Causes of death were obtained from hospital records and death certificates. Mortality was analyzed using life tables (intention to treat method included). Results: Blood pressure dropped significantly during follow up from a mean of 182/110 to 154/92 mm Hg. During follow up, 143 patients died and 429 complications (lethal or non lethal) were recorded. Twenty four percent of patients smoked, 24 percent reported alcohol intake, 56 percent had hypercholesterolemia, 11 percent were obese, 13 percent had diabetes and 3 percent had gout. The proportional hazard model showed that the existence of previous complications, the presence of more than 3 risk factors, and age over 60 and mean systolic and diastolic pressure during therapy, were independent and significant risk factors for mortality. Conclusions: The incidence of risk factors among our hypertensive patients is very similar to that of other national or international cohorts