Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disorder that primarily affects the lungs and is characterized not only by local pulmonary, but also by systemic inflammation which promotes the development of extrapulmonary and cardiovascular co-morbidities. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) are widely used drugs in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, with growing evidence suggesting potential benefits in COPD patients. The purpose of this review is to describe the correlation of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with COPD pathophysiology and to present the latest data regarding the potential role of RAS blockers in COPD.

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Introduction: Longitudinal data regarding changes in exercise capacity among adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are currently scarce. The aim of this brief report was to assess changes in exercise capacity among adult CF patients with stable and mild-to-moderate disease eight years after their initial evaluation. Material and methods: Maximum cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was utilized. Other assessments included Doppler echocardiography, the 6-minute walking test, spirometry, and lung volume evaluation. Results: Eleven (6 male, 5 female) patients completed both evaluations (initial and after eight years). During follow-up, indices of ventilatory impairment (such as ventilatory reserve; p=0.019, and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide; p = 0.047) deterio-rated significantly following a decline in respiratory function measurements. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2), both as an absolute (26.6 ± 8.46 vs 23.89 ± 6.16 mL/kg/min; p = 0.098) and as a % of predicted value (71.21 ± 16.54 vs 70.60 ± 15.45; p = 0.872), did not deteriorate. This is also true for oxygen pulse (p = 0.743), left heart ejection fraction (p = 0.574), and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (p = 0.441). However, the anaerobic threshold, both as an absolute (p = 0.009) and as a % of predicted value (p = 0.047), was significantly lower during follow-up. Conclusion: In adult CF patients with stable, mild-to-moderate disease, a peak VO2 may be preserved for several years. However, even in these patients, deconditioning is present.

Background and aims: Our objective was to examine the epidemiology of poisonings among children hospitalized in a public Greek hospital in Kalamata.

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