Mechanisms And Manifestations Of Obesity In Lung Disease

Mechanisms and Manifestations of Obesity in Lung Disease is a complete resource on the epidemiology and molecular mechanisms related to obesity and lung disease. Obesity has not simply changed the epidemiology of pulmonary disease, it has had a profound impact on the pathophysiology of common pulmonary diseases. As the obesity epidemic has taken hold throughout the developed world, scientists and clinicians are now challenged with identifying the mechanisms by which obesity alters lung health and the pathogenesis of lung diseases. This book is an important new resource for both clinicians and scientists dealing with these new health problems in pulmonary medicine. Presents an all-in-one resource that describes the impact of obesity on the development and severity of lung disease Details the molecular and immunologic mechanisms by which obesity impacts the pathogenesis and outcomes of lung disease Includes contributions from authors who are internationally recognized as leaders in the area of obesity and lung disease

As a result of the rapidly growing rate of obesity worldwide, clinicians are struggling to provide the best strategies for treating obese patients with concomitant pulmonary conditions. Obesity does not simply change the epidemiology of pulmonary disease; obesity has a profound impact on the pathophysiology of common pulmonary diseases. Obesity affects the severity of asthma, response to treatment, and is likely a major modifier of the phenotype of asthma. Obesity also appears to affect response to pathogens, and as such has a major influence on response to pneumonia, and has a significant impact on outcomes pertaining to acute lung injury in the intensive care unit. Obesity and Lung Disease: A Guide to Management is the first text in the field to cover the full range of issues related to managing obese patients with pulmonary problems. All the relevant conditions, in the context of obesity, are covered, including airway inflammation, sleep apnea, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, obesity hypoventilation, as well as others. Written by an international group of experts, this important new volume is an invaluable resource for all clinicians and scientists concerned with the challenging problems surrounding obesity and lung diseases.

Chronic diseases are common and costly, yet they are also among the most preventable health problems. Comprehensive and accurate disease surveillance systems are needed to implement successful efforts which will reduce the burden of chronic diseases on the U.S. population. A number of sources of surveillance data--including population surveys, cohort studies, disease registries, administrative health data, and vital statistics--contribute critical information about chronic disease. But no central surveillance system provides the information needed to analyze how chronic disease impacts the U.S. population, to identify public health priorities, or to track the progress of preventive efforts. A Nationwide Framework for Surveillance of Cardiovascular and Chronic Lung Diseases outlines a conceptual framework for building a national chronic disease surveillance system focused primarily on cardiovascular and chronic lung diseases. This system should be capable of providing data on disparities in incidence and prevalence of the diseases by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic region, along with data on disease risk factors, clinical care delivery, and functional health outcomes. This coordinated surveillance system is needed to integrate and expand existing information across the multiple levels of decision making in order to generate actionable, timely knowledge for a range of stakeholders at the local, state or regional, and national levels. The recommendations presented in A Nationwide Framework for Surveillance of Cardiovascular and Chronic Lung Diseases focus on data collection, resource allocation, monitoring activities, and implementation. The report also recommends that systems evolve along with new knowledge about emerging risk factors, advancing technologies, and new understanding of the basis for disease. This report will inform decision-making among federal health agencies, especially the Department of Health and Human Services; public health and clinical practitioners; non-governmental organizations; and policy makers, among others.

This report issues a call for urgent action to combat the growing epidemic of obesity, which now affects developing and industrialized countries alike. Adopting a public health approach, the report responds to both the enormity of health problems associated with obesity and the notorious difficulty of treating this complex, multifactorial disease. With these problems in mind, the report aims to help policy-makers introduce strategies for prevention and management that have the greatest chance of success. The importance of prevention as the most sensible strategy in developing countries, where obesity coexists with undernutrition, is repeatedly emphasized. Recommended lines of action, which reflect the consensus reached by 25 leading authorities, are based on a critical review of current scientific knowledge about the causes of obesity in both individuals and populations. While all causes are considered, major attention is given to behavioural and societal changes that have increased the energy density of diets, overwhelmed sophisticated regulatory systems that control appetite and maintain energy balance, and reduced physical activity. Specific topics discussed range from the importance of fat content in the food supply as a cause of population-wide obesity, through misconceptions about obesity held by both the medical profession and the public, to strategies for dealing with the alarming prevalence of obesity in children. "... the volume is clearly written, and carries a wealth of summary information that is likely to be invaluable for anyone interested in the public health aspects of obesity and fatness, be they students, practitioner or researcher." - Journal of Biosocial Science

Global health has been challenged with the dawning of the era of the obesity epidemic, and thus as a consequence, strategies to reduce obesity have become public health priorities. According to the United Nations, obesity has been identified as a concern for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Obesity is a serious health problem with an increased risk of several common diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Although the fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an imbalance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure, the underlying biochemical and metabolic processes that cause obesity are not fully understood. Two earlier volumes dedicated to the subject of obesity, published in the series “Advances in Biochemistry in Health and Disease” focused on the pathophysiology of obesity-induced health complications and the biochemistry of cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity. This book brings together contributions from international experts in the field to describe advancements on the mechanisms leading to development of obesity and related complications. There are 21 chapters in two different parts in this book, comprising of Part I: Pathophysiologic Mechanisms of Obesity (11 chapters) and Part II: Therapeutic Mechanisms of Obesity (10 chapters). This book will serve as a resource and be of interest to health professionals, medical students, fellows, residents and graduate students. It will also evoke innovative research and effective approaches for the prevention of obesity. This volume will accentuate that obesity is a major health hazard in its own right and that appropriate public health measures should be implemented to prevent or reduce or even reverse the impact of this global chronic disease.

Severe asthma is a form of asthma that responds poorly to currently available medication, and its patients represent those with greatest unmet needs. In the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in terms of understanding some of the mechanisms that drive severe asthma; there have also been concomitant advances in the recognition of specific molecular phenotypes. This ERS Monograph covers all aspects of severe asthma – epidemiology, diagnosis, mechanisms, treatment and management – but has a particular focus on recent understanding of mechanistic heterogeneity based on an analytic approach using various ‘omics platforms applied to clinically well-defined asthma cohorts. How these advances have led to improved management targets is also emphasised. This book brings together the clinical and scientific expertise of those from around the world who are collaborating to solve the problem of severe asthma.