SMALL AIRWAY DISEASE IS A PREDICTOR FOR EARLY DIAGNOSTIC OF COPD

Abstract

Introduction. The early determination and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are crucial aims for researchers and clinicians. The small airway disease has long been a question of great interest in early diagnostic of COPD. Studies reported a major loss of small airways prior to the development of abnormal spirometry or emphysema in COPD patients.
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of previous and newer tests of small airways function, highlights the importance of early diagnostic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Search strategy. The following databases – Medline (2017 to February 2024) and Embase (2017 to February 2024) including the Cochrane Library were searched. The search was limited to papers written in English and that had been published in the last 7 years. To ensure a thorough review we conducted literature searches using the following terms: “small airway disease”, “chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease”, “airflow obstruction”, “lung physiology”, “lung function” and all the associated narrower terms simultaneously. In total, in accordance with the selection criteria 70 relevant scientific publications were taken into analysis. Results. Together these results provide important insights into role of different tests of small airway disease in early detection of COPD. Conclusion. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for small airway dysfunction in understanding the importance of early diagnostic of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases therefore improving patient outcomes.