ArticleBMC pulmonary medicine2025
The diagnostic value of bronchodilator response in differentiating asthma, COPD, and ACO in fixed airflow obstruction: a retrospective study.
Article in BMC pulmonary medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Routine Blood Biomarkers and Lung Function in Asthma-COPD Overlap versus Asthma-Only Among Hospitalized Asthma Patients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAn accurate distinction between asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) in patients with fixed airflow obstruction (FAO) is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies and improving clinical outcomes. The role of bronchodilator response in differentiating between these diseases is unclear. We aimed to identify factors that could aid in differential diagnosis.
methodsThis study employed a single-center, retrospective cohort design at a tertiary referral hospital. Patients with fixed airway obstruction, characterized by a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7 or below the lower limit of normal spirometry, were included. Receiver operating curve analysis (ROC) was used to evaluate the optimal cutoff values for spirometric data, with the goal of differentiating between ACO patients and those with asthma or COPD. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression models were employed to identify the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with ACO.
resultsOf 301 patients, 41.2% had asthma, 43.9% had COPD, and 15% had ACO. Of the participants 66.4% were male, and the mean age was 61.2 ± 14.3 years. The bronchodilator response (BDR) was significantly higher in the ACO group (280 mL) than in the asthma (190 mL) and COPD (120 mL) groups (p < 0.001). BDR (%) was associated with ACO in both univariate (OR 1.056; 95% CI 1.028-1.084; p < 0.001) and multivariate analyses (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09; p = 0.01). The BDR (ml) had the highest AUC (0.702; p < 0.001), suggesting that it is a moderately predictive diagnostic parameter with a cutoff of ≥ 280 ml (sensitivity: 55.56%; specificity: 77.73%). FEV1 (L) and FEV1/FVC (%) also demonstrated moderate diagnostic values with AUCs of 0.625 and 0.594, respectively.
conclusionsThis study provides practical cutoff values for BDR, aiding clinicians in distinguishing between overlapping respiratory diseases in a tertiary care settings. An identified BDR cutoff of ≥ 280 mL could serve as a practical tool for distinguishing ACO.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.