[Chronic cough: time to recognize it as a disease].
1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Summary
Chronic cough, lasting over 8 weeks, is increasingly viewed as a distinct disease with various phenotypes, such as unexplained chronic cough. Recognizing it as a disease entity aids diagnosis, research, and patient care.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Medicine
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Chronic cough is defined clinically as a cough lasting over 8 weeks with no chest X-ray abnormalities.
- Emerging evidence indicates chronic cough is a disease with diverse phenotypes, often involving cough hypersensitivity.
- Unexplained or refractory chronic cough represents a specific, distinct phenotype.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for defining chronic cough as a distinct disease entity.
- To highlight the benefits of shifting focus from symptom management to disease management.
- To emphasize the potential improvements in clinical practice and research.
Main Methods:
- Review of current clinical definitions and emerging evidence.
- Analysis of the pathophysiological aspects of chronic cough phenotypes.
- Discussion of the implications of reclassifying chronic cough.
Main Results:
- Chronic cough exhibits varied phenotypes, including cough hypersensitivity.
- Unexplained chronic cough (UCC) and refractory chronic cough (RCC) are recognized phenotypes.
- Reclassifying chronic cough as a disease entity offers significant advantages.
Conclusions:
- Defining chronic cough as a distinct disease entity standardizes diagnosis and epidemiology.
- This shift improves medical education, insurance reimbursement, and doctor-patient communication.
- It also reduces unnecessary interventions and promotes research into chronic cough pathogenesis and therapeutics.
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