men and 13 % of the women had chronic bronchitis. The prevalence of chronic bronchitis was related to current cigarette smoking in both sexes, and to socio-economic status in men. Chronic bronchitis was a contributory cause of disabling dyspnoea and recurrent chest illness in half of the subjects with these symptoms. Significant radiological evidence of tuberculosis was found in 9% of men and i...

Chronic bronchitis is common among smokers, often together with recurrent infectious exacerbations. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae are the pathogens traditionally considered most important. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment has been shown to reduce the number of infectious exacerbations in patients with chronic bronchitis. The mechanism behind this is unknown. We attempted t...

1. The viscosity of sputum in patients with chronic bronchitis has been measured with the Weissenberg rheogoniometer, a cone and plate system, using oscillatory movement at low shear rates. 2. A characteristic pattern is described not previously reported for sputum or any other biological fluid. 3. Sputum viscosity decreased steadily with increasing shear rate; over a narrow range of shear rate...

The present study investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status, using measures of occupational class and education level, and the prevalence and incidence of asthma (with and without atopy) and chronic bronchitis using data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Asthma and chronic bronchitis were studied prospectively within the ECRHS (n = 9,023). Incidence...

Chronic bronchitis is a clinical syndrome, defined on the basis of sputum production [1, 2]. Investigations have demonstrated that airway inflammation is central to the clinical changes associated with chronic bronchitis. Histological investigations of surgical and autopsy specimens have provided material to determine the site and nature of the airway inflammation. Sampling of the airways via f...

The development of peripheral oedema is a major determinant of a poor prognosis in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema' and, when unexplained by other medical conditions, is called cor pulmonale. Chan et al found that raised alcohol consumption was associated with hypercapnic respiratory failure in bronchitis patients.2 As oedematous patients with bronchitis tend to be hypercapnic, w...