Dennis E. Niewoehner, MD

Professor of Medicine

Pulmonary Section (111N)
VA Medical Center
Minneapolis, MN 55417
Tel:  (612) 467-4412
Fax: (612) 727-5634
Email: niewo001@umn.edu

Summary of Academic Activities

My principal academic effort in recent years has involved the initiation, design, and execution of clinical trials that evaluate preventative and treatment measures for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an increasingly important public health problem. I have served as the principal investigator of a recently completed randomized clinical trial that was performed by contract with a pharmaceutical company through the Minnesota Veterans Research Institute.  This was performed at 26 VA medical centers and it exceeded its targeted goal of 1800 randomized patients.  The hypothesis of this trial was that the addition of a long-acting inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator to otherwise standard therapy would, over a six-month period, significantly reduce the rate of exacerbations and respiratory hospitalizations among veteran patients with severe COPD.  Secondary outcomes included all associated aspects of health care utilization. This trial has been completed and was recently published.

I am also a Principal Investigator for the NHLBI-sponsored COPD Clinical Research Network.  This group is designing clinical studies that will improve the management of COPD. Trials are currently under way. I am also a Co-Principal Proponent of a recently funded trial from the VA Cooperative Studies program that will evaluate case management as an intervention for reducing hospitalization rates in 960 patients with severe COPD. Enrollment began in the autumn of 2006.

Selected Recent Publications

Niewoehner DE, Lokhnygina Y, Rice K, Kuschner WG, Sharafkhaneh A, Sarosi GA, Krumpe P, Pieper K, Kesten S.  Risk indices for exacerbations and hospitalizations due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Chest 2007; 131:20-28.

Kunisaki KM, Rice KL, Niewoehner DE.  Management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the elderly: an appraisal of published evidence.  Drugs Aging    2007; 24:303-24.

Niewoehner DE.  Procalcitonin level-guided treatment reduced antibiotic use in exacerbations of COPD.  ACP J Club 2007; 146(3):57.

Kesten S, Plautz M, Piquette CA, Habib MP, Niewoehner DE.  Premature discontinuation of patients: a potential bias in COPD clinical trials. Eur Respir J 2007; 30:898-906.

Suissa S, McGhan R, Niewoehner D, Make B.  Inhaled corticosteroids in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Proc Am Thorac Soc 2007; 4:535-42.

Wilt TJ, Niewoehner D, MacDonald R, Kane RL.  Management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review for a clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med 2007; 147:639-53.

Rice KL, Kunisaki KM, Niewoehner D.  Role of tiotropium in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2007;2(2):95-105.

Kunisaki M, Rice KL, Janoff EN, Rector TS, Niewoehner DE. Exhaled nitric oxide, systemic inflammation, and the spirometric response to inhaled fluticasone propionate in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective study. Ther Adv Respir Dis 2008; 2:55-64.

• "Drug Therapy for Preventing COPD Exacerbations"
  NHLBI (1 U10 HL074419)
  2003-2008
  Role: Principal Investigator
• "Bronchitis and Emphysema Advice and Training to Reduce Hospitalization (BREATH). A randomized controlled trial of disease management to prevent COPD hospitalizations"
  VA Cooperative Trials (CSP 560)
  2006-2010
  Role: Co-Principal Proponent with Dr. Vincent Fan
• Genetic Epidemiology of COPD  Study goals:A multi-institutional study for the creation of a cohort for genome-wide association analysis of 10,500 subjects to identify the genetic, environmental and pathophysiologic factors that control the development and progression of COPD.
  P.I.s: James Crapo, Edwin Silverman NHLBI
  (1 R01 HL08989 2007-2010
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  
  Last updated: 5/02/2008