RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Breathing–swallowing discoordination is associated with frequent exacerbations of COPD JF BMJ Open Respiratory Research JO BMJ Open Resp Res FD British Thoracic Society SP e000202 DO 10.1136/bmjresp-2017-000202 VO 4 IS 1 A1 Shinsuke Nagami A1 Yoshitaka Oku A1 Naomi Yagi A1 Susumu Sato A1 Ryuji Uozumi A1 Satoshi Morita A1 Yoshie Yamagata A1 Jun Kayashita A1 Kazuya Tanimura A1 Atsuyasu Sato A1 Ryosuke Takahashi A1 Shigeo Muro YR 2017 UL http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000202.abstract AB Introduction Impaired coordination between breathing and swallowing (breathing–swallowing discoordination) may be a significant risk factor for the exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We examined breathing–swallowing discoordination in patients with COPD using a non-invasive and quantitative technique and determined its association with COPD exacerbation.Methods We recruited 65 stable outpatients with COPD who were enrolled in our prospective observational cohort study and did not manifest an apparent swallowing disorder. COPD exacerbation was monitored for 1 year before and 1 year after recruitment. Swallowing during inspiration (the I-SW pattern) and swallowing immediately followed by inspiration (the SW-I pattern) were identified.Results The mean frequency of the I-SW and/or SW-I patterns (I-SW/SW-I rate) was 21.5%±25.5%. During the 2-year observation period, 48 exacerbation incidents (25 patients) were identified. The I-SW/SW-I rate was significantly associated with the frequency of exacerbation. During the year following recruitment, patients with a higher I-SW/SW-I frequency using thicker test foods exhibited a significantly higher probability of future exacerbations (p=0.002, log-rank test).Conclusions Breathing–swallowing discoordination is strongly associated with frequent exacerbations of COPD. Strategies that identify and improve breathing–swallowing coordination may be a new therapeutic treatment for patients with COPD.