PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New study identifies risk factors for depression among COPD patients

2013-05-20
(Press-News.org) ATS 2013, PHILADELPHIA ─ Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) typically suffer from depression more frequently than those without COPD, resulting in higher levels of disability and illness and increasing the overall healthcare burden for the COPD population. Now, a study from researchers in Argentina indicates female COPD patients and patients who experience significant shortness of breath may have the greatest risk for developing depression.

The results of the study will be presented at the ATS 2013 International Conference.

"About 10 percent of the general population suffers from depression, and studies have shown that rate to be significantly higher in patients with COPD," said study lead author Orlando Lopez Jove, MD, chief of the pulmonary laboratory at the Hospital Cetrangolo in Buenos Aires. "Not every COPD patient will suffer from depression, and being able to identify which patients are most at risk could be a valuable tool in ensuring those patients receive counseling and other treatment that could help improve their quality of life.

"In this study, we wanted to learn if factors including gender, lifestyle habits, COPD severity, shortness of breath and overall quality of life were related to the frequency of depression in COPD patients, and if they were related, to try to determine the extent of that relationship," he said.

For their study, the researchers evaluated 113 COPD patients who were treated at the Hospital Cetrangolo in Buenos Aires from January 2009 to March 2011 and who had not had exacerbations of their disease within the previous 30-day period. Patients were evaluated for pulmonary function and for the degree of shortness of breath they experienced, as well as other physical characteristics including weight and body mass index (BMI). The researchers used previous diagnoses of depression and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to determine the presence and level of depression and the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) to evaluate quality of life measures for each patient, and they also looked at specific lifestyle factors and habits like smoking and evaluated family history of depression. Patients were considered to be physically active if they engaged in physical activity for at least 150 minutes each week, the amount recommended by the American Heart Association to maintain good health. At the end of the study, the researchers discovered that while the severity of COPD and smoking had no bearing on whether or not a patient had depression or their level of depression, patients who were female and those experiencing significant shortness of breath were at a significantly greater risk for the condition. They also found that the presence of depression and its intensity had a direct bearing on a patient's quality of life, affecting both the total quality-of-life score and the score for individual factors measured by the SGRQ.

The researchers also identified physical activity as a protective factor against depression, meaning patients who had higher levels of physical activity were less prone to developing depression.

"Depression is a disorder which remains easily undiagnosed due to underpresentation and because the symptoms are not very specific," said Dr. Lopez Jove, who is also vice-director of the pathophysiology department at the Latin American Thoracic Association (ALAT). "Therefore, it is important to consider this disorder in patients with COPD, especially in female patients and patients who experience significant shortness of breath.

A future planned study will help evaluate how treatment of depression affects these patients and their quality of life, he said.

"COPD patients have to deal not only with the physical consequences of the disease, but they also must deal with the psychological consequences of COPD," Dr. Lopez Jove noted. "Patients with depression often suffer from low self-confidence or self-efficacy, and early diagnosis and treatment of depression is very important for improving a patient's quality of life, maximizing healthcare utilization and improving treatment outcomes."

### * Please note that numbers in this release may differ slightly from those in the abstract. Many of these investigations are ongoing; the release represents the most up-to-date data available at press time.

Abstract 39776 Depression In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Relationship To Dyspnea Degrees And Impact On Quality Of Life (Qol)
Type: Scientific Abstract
Category: 09.03 - COPD: Comorbidities (CP)
Authors: O.R. Lopez Jove1, A. Galdames2, V. Barrionuevo2, E. Giugno3, S. Rey2, Y.F. Wu4, G. Tabaj2, E. Lopez Gonzalez5; 1Hopital Cetrangolo - Buenos Aires/AR, 2Hospital "Dr. Antonio A.Cetrángolo" - Vicente Lopez - Buenos Aires/AR, 3Hospital "Dr. Antonio A.Cetrángolo" - 1147912090/AR, 4Hopital Cetrangolo - Vicente Lopez- Buenos Aires/AR, 5Argentine Diabetes Society - Caba/AR

Abstract Body Background: The prevalence of depression in the general population is around 10%, being higher in patients with COPD. The presence of this comorbidity increases morbidity, disability, and health care burden. Aims: To evaluate the frequency of depression in COPD patients and its relationship with gender, habits, COPD severity, degree of dyspnea and QoL. Material and methods: we performed an observational, prospective study at Hospital "Dr. Cetrángolo", Argentina, in patients with COPD according to GOLD criteria (stages I to IV) without exacerbations in the last month. Evaluation included the following issues: anthropometric measures, pulmonary function tests, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC) from 0 to 4. The SGRQ measures QoL dimensions: symptoms, activity, and impact. It has total and individual scores. Depression was considered in patients who had former diagnosis or with a BDI score >9 points. Physical activity was considered if was performed for more than 150 minutes (=3 times)/week. Statistical Analysis: Chi2 test, Student's t test, Pearson correlation, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Software: Intercooled STATA. Results: We evaluated 113 patients, mean age 63.1± 8.3 years. 33 females (28.9%). Current smokers: 18.6%. Smoking intensity: 56.1±29.2 packs/year. Family history of depression: 13(11.2%). GOLD stage: Stage I: 2.6%, Stage II: 47.8%, Stage III: 37.2%, Stage IV: 12.4%. BMI: mean 26.9±4.7 kg/m2. The mean scores in each dimension of SGRQ were: total 46.2 ± 18.7, symptoms 50.1 ± 20.5, activity 61.1 ± 22.4 and impact 35.4 ± 19.2. Depression n=51 (45.3%): patients who had previous diagnosis 7 (13.7%); diagnosed by BDI 44 (86.3%), BDI mean 11.4±8.4 points.

Depression was associated with: female gender (rough OR: 4.14, p END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Stress test may help predict increased mortality risk in sleep apnea patients

2013-05-20
ATS 2013, PHILADELPHIA – Many studies have shown that men and women who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - a disorder that causes breathing to halt intermittently during sleep – have a higher mortality rate than those who do not have the disorder. Now, a study from researchers at the Cleveland Clinic shows that OSA patients who also have poor functional capacity have an even greater risk of mortality and suggests that an assessment of functional capacity in this population can help physicians identify patients most at risk for death. The results of the study ...

Metabolic biomarkers can predict mortality in the ICU

2013-05-20
ATS 2013, PHILADELPHIA – A metabolic profile of intensive care unit (ICU) patients based on biomarkers of four metabolites can be used to accurately predict mortality, according to a new study. "Existing models for predicting mortality in the ICU may not always be accurate and they can also be cumbersome to use," said researcher Angela J. Rogers MD, MPH, Instructor in Medicine at Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Levels of lactate, a metabolite from the carbohydrate pathway, are an established biomarker for ICU mortality. ...

Food laboratory accuracy remains a concern

2013-05-20
Food microbiology laboratories continue to submit false negative results and false positive results on a routine basis. A retrospective study of nearly 40,000 proficiency test results over the past 14 years, presented today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, examined the ability of food laboratories to detect or rule out the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter. "There is concern when laboratories report that pathogens are not found in a food sample, when in fact they are there," ...

Pharmaceutical advances offer new options for health outcomes

2013-05-20
Orlando, FL (May 20, 2013) — Research presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) explores pharmaceutical advances for treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) and hepatitis C. An international study holds promising results for patients suffering from IBS-D. In the phase II study, researchers found that the drug ibodutant significantly improved symptoms in more than 50 percent of the individuals treated. "While there's been a lot of progress in medicines for IBS with constipation, we haven't seen the same in IBS with diarrhea," said Jan Tack, MD, professor ...

Mayo Clinic: Inflammatory bowel disease raises risk of melanoma

2013-05-20
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at higher risk of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, report researchers at Mayo Clinic. Researchers found that IBD is associated with a 37 percent greater risk for the disease. The findings were presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2013 conference in Orlando, Fla. More than 1.5 million Americans have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (UC), the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Both conditions inflame the lining of the intestine, leading to bouts of watery diarrhea, rectal bleeding, ...

Team finds mechanism linking key inflammatory marker to cancer

2013-05-20
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a new study described in the journal Oncogene, researchers reveal how a key player in cell growth, immunity and the inflammatory response can be transformed into a primary contributor to tumor growth. Scientists call this Jekyll-and-Hyde molecule NF-kappa B. In healthy cells, it is a powerful "first responder," a vital part of the body's immune and inflammatory responses. It spends most of its life in the cell's cytoplasm, quietly awaiting orders. But when extracellular signals – of a viral or bacterial invasion, for example – set off chemical alarms, ...

New in GEOLOGY: Gems, Darwin, Mars, Hemp, Snowball Earth, a Siberian Impact Crater, and More

2013-05-20
Boulder, Colo., USA – New Geology articles posted online ahead of print 9 and 16 May 2013 cover a wide swath of geoscience subdisciplines, including minerals exploration, archaeology, planetary geology, tectonics, oceanography, geophysics, and paleobotany. Locations studied include Siberia; the Sumatran subduction margin; the Monte Arsiccio mine at Alpi Apuane, Italy; Ukraine; Mars; and the Southeastern U.S. Atlantic Margin. Brief highlights follow: 1. Rubies, jadeite, and plate tectonics; 2. The clear fingerprint of ice ages left on coral reefs around the world; 3. ...

New GEOSPHERE science online covers Himalaya, Colorado River, McMurdo Sound, and more

2013-05-20
Boulder, Colo., USA – New Geosphere postings online on 7 and 16 May include additions to two special issues: CRevolution 2: Origin and Evolution of the Colorado River System II and The ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) and Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS) Drilling Projects. Other articles cover India-Asia collision; a Late Triassic snapshot in the U.S. Southwest; the Alabama and western Georgia Blue Ridge; and the Jemez Mountains volcanic field. Abstracts for these and other Geosphere papers are available at http://geosphere.gsapubs.org/. Representatives of the media may obtain ...

New study suggests candy consumption frequency not linked to obesity or heart disease

2013-05-20
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 20, 2013 – At a time when the spotlight is focused on obesity more than ever, new research suggests that frequency of candy consumption is not associated with weight or certain adverse health risks. According to a recent data analysis published in the April 30th issue of Nutrition Journal, adults who consume candy at least every other day are no more likely to be overweight nor have greater risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than moderate consumers (about once a week) or even less frequent candy eaters (less than 3 times per month).1 Almost ...

Disney researchers develop fast, economical method for high-definition video compositing

2013-05-20
ZURICH - Video compositing to create special effects, replace backgrounds or combine multiple takes of an actor's performance is an integral, but highly labor-intensive, part of modern film making. Researchers at Disney Research, Zürich, however, have found an innovative way to create these composite videos that is simple, fast, and easy to use. Rather than perform a painstaking segmentation of elements that are to be added or subtracted from a video, the Disney system, called DuctTake, uses computer algorithms to find a spatiotemporal "seam" through the video frame that ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Fig trees convert atmospheric CO2 to stone

Intra-arterial tenecteplase for acute stroke after successful endovascular therapy

Study reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields

Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials

Climate change cuts milk production, even when farmers cool their cows

Frozen, but not sealed: Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages

Some like it cold: Cryorhodopsins

Demystifying gut bacteria with AI

Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads

Unlocking the hidden biodiversity of Europe’s villages

Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses

Planned C-sections increase the risk of certain childhood cancers

Adults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19

Drones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching

New genetic finding uncovers hidden cause of arsenic resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Native habitats hold the key to the much-loved smashed avocado’s future

Using lightning to make ammonia out of thin air

Machine learning potential-driven insights into pH-dependent CO₂ reduction

Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor

How game-play with robots can bring out their human side

Asthma: patient expectations influence the course of the disease

UNM physician tests drug that causes nerve tissue to emit light, enabling faster, safer surgery

New study identifies EMP1 as a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and poor prognosis

XPR1 identified as a key regulator of ovarian cancer growth through autophagy and immune evasion

Flexible, eco-friendly electronic plastic for wearable tech, sensors

Can the Large Hadron Collider snap string theory?

Stuckeman professor’s new book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture

Synthetic DNA nanoparticles for gene therapy

New model to find treatments for an aggressive blood cancer

Special issue of Journal of Intensive Medicine analyzes non-invasive respiratory support

[Press-News.org] New study identifies risk factors for depression among COPD patients