PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark World COPD Day, leading lung experts from across the world have adopted a new approach to tackle the dangerously low rates of diagnosis in COPD. Currently it is estimated that up to 50% of people with the disease worldwide are undiagnosed.
The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), the leading international group of experts dedicated to improving diagnosis and treatment of COPD, is releasing a major international public education campaign, including a “self-assessment questionnaire”, which asks five simple questions. If responders answer ‘yes’ to three or more questions they are advised to visit their doctor, who can then confirm or rule-out a diagnosis of COPD.
COPD is a devastating lung disease that progressively robs a person of the ability to breathe. The World Health Organization estimates that COPD kills more than 2.75 million people each year. Worldwide it ranks as the fourth leading cause of death alongside HIV/AIDS.
“Hundreds of millions of people struggle with the effects of COPD on a daily basis, but it remains among the most under-diagnosed and under-treated of the world’s major killers,” said A. Sonia Buist, M.D., professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and co-GOLD National Leader for the US. “Public health officials estimate that as many as half of all people with COPD are undiagnosed-unaware that they have the disease. This is why we are taking action on World COPD Day, to make more people aware that they are at risk.”
...COPD in the United States
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (behind heart disease, cancer and stroke). In 2000, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics, over 119,000 people died from COPD, and for the first time the number of women who died from the disease surpassed the number of men.
In 2000, physicians diagnosed an estimated 10 million adults in the U.S. with COPD. However, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) suggest that, in the U.S., approximately 24 million adults have evidence of impaired lung function, indicating that COPD is greatly under-diagnosed. Even with under-diagnosis, COPD was responsible for eight million physician office and hospital outpatient visits, and 726,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. alone. In 2002, medical expenditures amounted to $32.1 billion.
“Now that we have strategies for diagnosing and effectively treating COPD, there is a real opportunity to make an important impact on morbidity and mortality from the disease,” added Professor Romain Pauwels, Chair of the GOLD Executive Committee. “World COPD Day 2002 was a good beginning of our campaign to increase awareness of this serious and growing medical problem, and this year with the help of family doctors worldwide, we’re confident that World COPD Day 2003 will have a positive impact on people’s lives.”
Other major world killers -- such as cardiovascular disease -- are declining, because of successful efforts to promote early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Yet COPD is rapidly increasing in many countries of the world. The goal of the World COPD Day campaign is to reduce COPD- related death and disability through similar improvements in earlier diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Exposure to certain risk factors, particularly smoking, causes COPD. Symptoms of the disease, including cough and shortness of breath, often prevent patients from doing everyday activities, such as walking even short distances. The earlier COPD is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis for the patient. A simple breathing test, called spirometry, can confirm the diagnosis.
...the World COPD Day campaign
World COPD Day 2003 will include a variety of local and national activities designed to “Raise Awareness of COPD” and bring counselling and treatment to people at risk in countries around the world.
A coalition of healthcare professionals, patient organizations, and government health agencies from more than 50 countries will participate in the second annual World COPD Day on Wednesday, November 19, 2003, to help the millions of people worldwide who have, or are at high risk for, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Coordinated by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), World COPD Day 2003 will include a partnership with WONCA - the World Organization of Family Doctors - and is dedicated to the early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of COPD.
In addition, WONCA will get the message out to family doctors and general practitioners in many countries, to help identify people with early COPD and increase awareness of the treatments available to slow the disease’s progression and improve patients’ quality of life. In many countries, public health and government officials have also been included in planning World COPD Day 2003 activities to bring attention to the impact of this chronic lung disease on health care resources.
Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
CONTACT: World COPD Day global Press Office, http://www.goldcopd.com/; or KellyLaban of Kovak-Likly Communications, +1-203-762-8833, KLaban@KLCpr.com, forGOLD
Web site: http://www.goldcopd.com/
