[Meeting of experts on obstructive airway diseases: targets and methods]

New insights into the pathogenesis and clinical course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma have become available. Systematic analyses of well-defined and intensively monitored patient cohorts are being published, particularly from the ECLIPSE cohort in the U.S.A. and from the network COSYCONet in Germany. Important articles from 2011 on COPD and asthma put former concepts into question. There is a new understanding of the relationship between parenchymal destruction and bronchial obstruction in COPD as well as on the impact of cardiovascular comorbidity. Computed tomography allows high-resolution imaging of lung structures, and MRI delivers supplementary functional information. Researchers have also investigated the value of patient-reported outcomes, such as quality of life, dyspnoea, or the COPD assessment test (CAT). Members of the GOLD committee are trying to establish a feasible classification of the multiple facets of COPD. With respect to treatment, novel data on beta-adrenergic antagonists in COPD and on muscarinic antagonists in asthma have been published. These aspects were discussed during an expert meeting and are now summarised in the present review article.