Nonobstructive chronic bronchitis was associated with increased mortality in current and former smokers, according to a review and meta-analysis published in Chest.
“In smokers with normal spirometry, chronic bronchitis is associated with exacerbations and hospitalizations,” Spyridon Fortis, MD, clinical associate professor in the division of pulmonary, critical care and occupational medicine at the University of Iowa, and colleagues wrote. “Prior epidemiological studies have examined the association of nonobstructive chronic bronchitis and all-cause mortality with