Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical efficacy of a rehabilitation program for patients with bronchial asthma (BA) and comorbid metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods . This randomized study involved 60 stable patients (15 males) with moderate BA and comorbid MS. The mean age of the participants was 49.81 ± 0.77 years. BA was diagnosed according to GINA, 2011. The patients randomly received standard medication therapy plus education and physical training or standard therapy only. Clinical symptoms of BA, lung function, quality of life and nutritional status were assessed at baseline and in 12 months. Results. In 12 months, patients treated with rehabilitation program in addition to the standard therapy have demonstrated significant improvement in all parameters in comparison to patients treated with standard therapy only. Conclusion . Implementation of this program focused on education and physical training was related to a significant reduction in BA exacerbation rate, number of emergency calls and hospitalizations due to BA, decrease in severity of daytime and nighttime asthma symptoms, improvement in lung function, and achievement the optimal BA control.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a cause of appreciable social and economic losses. Airway inflammation is the main factor at the early stages of COPD pathogenesis and persists for many years after cessation of the action of provoking factors. In the last years, researchers have shown much interest in biomarkers associated with various diseases including COPD. Biomarkers of COPD are related to pathophysiology ofthe disease and inflammatory processes in the lungs. This review is designed to summarize the currently available data on systemic COPD biomarkers, their use for the assessment of activity of the disease and the possible role in the formation of COPD phenotype. Most systemic biomarkers are not specific for COPD. Moreove, evaluation of their significance encounters difficulties due to the presence of concomitant pathologies, in the first place cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, studies involving a large number of patients with COPD provided information about the role of biomarkers in the activity of COPD and formation of its phenotype with systemic inflammation. The introduction ofbiomarkers in protocols ofexamination ofCOPD patients needs further substantiation.