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The Asthma COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS)

  • Asthma (WJ Calhoun and S Peters, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have traditionally been viewed as distinct clinical entities. Recently, however, much attention has been focused on patients with overlapping features of both asthma and COPD: those with asthma COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Although no universal definition criteria exist, recent publications attempted to define patients with ACOS based on differences in clinical features, radiographic findings, and diagnostic tests. Patients with ACOS make up a large percentage of those with obstructive lung disease and have a higher overall health-care burden. Identifying patients with ACOS has significant therapeutic implications particularly with the need for early use of inhaled corticosteroids and the avoidance of use of long-acting bronchodilators alone in such patients. However, unlike asthma and COPD, no evidence-based guidelines for the management of ACOS currently exist. Future research is needed to improve our understanding of ACOS and to achieve the best management strategies.

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Conflict of Interest

Stephen Bujarski, Amit Parulekar, and Amir Sharafkhaneh declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Nicola Hanania served as consultant to Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), Novartis, Pfizer, Sunovion, and Genentech has served on the speaker bureau for Genentech, and his institution has received research grant support on his behalf from BI, Genentech, GSK, Sunovion, Mylan, Novartis, Pfizer, and Pearl.

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  1. Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 1504 Taub Loop, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Stephen Bujarski, Amit D. Parulekar, Amir Sharafkhaneh & Nicola A. Hanania

  2. Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Medical Care Line, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe St., Bldg 100 (111i), Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Amir Sharafkhaneh

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  1. Stephen Bujarski
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Correspondence to Nicola A. Hanania.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Asthma

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Bujarski, S., Parulekar, A.D., Sharafkhaneh, A. et al. The Asthma COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS). Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 15, 7 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-014-0509-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-014-0509-6

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