The effect of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) on spirometric lung function and airway closure during induced bronchoconstriction was assessed in patients with asthma. WC, but not BMI, was associated with restrictive effects on baseline spirometry. However, during bronchoconstriction, airway closure was associated with increased BMI, rather than WC.

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A group of patients with chronic productive cough of unknown cause not adequately described by existing disease labels is described in terms of their physiological, radiological and pathological features. The majority of these patients demonstrated neutrophilic or paucigranulocytic airway inflammation and their symptoms responded well to azithromycin.

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This is the first study providing insights into the significance of therapeutic complexity and polypharmacy in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Patients receiving systemic corticosteroids are at high risk of drug–disease interactions. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the impacts of therapeutic burden on clinical outcomes in patients with ILD.

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We investigated metabolic profiles of paediatric asthma patients to identify asthma-specific biomarkers in urine. A combination of eight metabolites showed excellent discrimination across groups. Enrichment analysis identified complex biological processes associated with immunity, inflammation, oxidative stress and DNA damage. These approaches enabled discrimination between asthma stages and elucidate its mechanisms.

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We have devised an image-based method that can rapidly assess obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) severity in awake patients. We have shown that, in awake patients, airway distensibility/collapsibility during expiration, but not inspiration, is related to the severity of OSA. Airway distensibility is an independent risk factor for OSA, but not related to anatomical changes in the tongue and soft palate.