Objective To assess whether antidepressant prescriptions are associated with an increased risk of pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. Methods A self-controlled case series was performed to investigate the rates of pneumonia and COPD exacerbation during periods of being exposed to antidepressants compared with non-exposed periods. Patients with COPD with…

Background Identifying correlates of cause-specific mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may aid the targeting of therapies to reduce mortality. We determined factors associated with causes of death in a primary care COPD population. Methods Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum was linked to Hospital Episode Statistics and death certificate data. People…

In 2018 we published the James Lind Alliance (JLA) top 10 priorities for clinical research in cystic fibrosis (CF), chosen jointly by the patient and clinical communities. These priorities have led to new research funding. To establish whether priorities have changed with novel modulator therapies, we undertook an online international update through a series of surveys and a workshop. Patients…

Smoking has been considered a risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in observational studies. To assess whether smoking plays a causal role in IPF, we performed a Mendelian randomization study using genetic association data of 10 382 cases with IPF and 968 080 controls. We found that genetic predisposition to smoking initiation (based on 378 variants) and lifetime smoking (based on…

Background Metabolic alkalosis may lead to respiratory inhibition and increased need for ventilatory support or prolongation of weaning from ventilation for patients with chronic respiratory disease. Acetazolamide can reduce alkalaemia and may reduce respiratory depression. Methods We searched Medline, EMBASE and CENTRAL from inception to March 2022 for randomised controlled trials comparing…