New Definition of COPD

[larrynz]

Call for new definition of COPD
Smoking is the primary risk factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a disease that afflicts 44 million worldwide and results in over 200 000 deaths in Europe. The hallmark of COPD (a term commonly used to refer to both chronic bronchitis and emphysema) is widely considered a long-term decline in lung function. Two European researchers now claim that COPD can no longer be judged as a disease of the lungs alone, since a significant number of patients suffer and die from non-respiratory disorders.
ec.europa.eu:80/research/headlines/news/article_07_09_26_en.html

I found this item of interest, for so long cause of death has not shown COPD, so the true extent of the disease has been hidden, which in turn has limited the research funding.

[morningstar]

Larry,

I find this most interesting also. To me it shows that slowly we are winning the war. Many more miles to travel but the first step is taken. Thanks for sharin this.
Rose

[Blossom/Jackie W.]

I follwed the link....couldn't find it but that's not unusual with news.

I have read similar articles ...none of which is surprising which leads me to believe that COPD as a contributor to deaths etc is largely underreported. Especially if you've been living with it for awhile and it's not been recognized/identified by the individual or the physician...then you die of a heart attack or something. COD? Heart attack.

[larrynz]

Jackie did you copy and paste the entire link, not just the blue bit?

[LindaNY]

Very interesting article, Larry. Thanks.
"Chronic systemic inflammatory syndrome" makes much more sense.

HEALTH RESEARCH
Call for new definition of COPD
Smoking is the primary risk factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a disease that afflicts 44 million worldwide and results in over 200 000 deaths in Europe. The hallmark of COPD (a term commonly used to refer to both chronic bronchitis and emphysema) is widely considered a long-term decline in lung function. Two European researchers now claim that COPD can no longer be judged as a disease of the lungs alone, since a significant number of patients suffer and die from non-respiratory disorders.

A significant number of COPD deaths are attributed to smoking.

Prof. Klaus Rabe of Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands, and Dr Leonardo Fabbri of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, suggest the change in approach is necessary to improve the way patients are treated and the way national healthcare systems respond to the disease.

'We propose to add the term "chronic systemic inflammatory syndrome" to the diagnosis of COPD, to stimulate discussion around the frequent complex chronic comorbidities in people with COPD, and to provoke a new view of the disease in general,' say Prof. Rabe and Dr Fabbri.

The most common comorbidities associated with COPD are skeletal muscle abnormalities, high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart failure, lung infections, cancer, and pulmonary vascular disease. The researchers claim that chronic comorbid diseases affect health outcomes in COPD, and point out that patients die mainly of non-respiratory disorders, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer.

'Clinical practice guidelines in general seem to ignore the fact that most patients with a chronic disease have additional comorbidities. Guidelines designed largely by speciality-dominated committees for management of individual diseases provide clinicians with little advice for caring for people with several chronic diseases, resulting in poly-pharmacia,' they say.

'We suggest that the introduction of an overarching idea, such as chronic systemic inflammatory syndrome, will improve recognition of chronic comorbid disorders and will affect patients' care, particularly that of elderly people. Not only will clinicians have to agree to change their approach, to treating chronic diseases, but also our healthcare system must rise to this major challenge.'

The European Lung Foundation estimates that in less than 15 years, COPD is likely to account for over 6 million deaths across the globe annually. The foundation claims that in Europe alone, productivity losses due to COPD amount to a total of EUR 28.5 billion each year.

Although smoking is the most important risk factor, over 15% of COPD occurs in people who have never smoked. These risk factors may be hereditary or involve a history of childhood respiratory infections, or they may include air pollution (including exposure to indoor air pollution, such as the fumes from biomass fuels for cooking and heating) and occupational hazards.

There is no cure for COPD but it can be treated effectively. The earlier COPD is detected, the more effective the treatment results.

[lindab]

This is a very interesting article and really makes a person wonder how many others were not diagnosed.

[Blossom/Jackie W.]

Actually Larry I clicked on the link itself.....Duh; I forgot about the extensions that aren't always connected. I'll do it again...this time copy and paste

[chrisw]

My first reaction when I read this article was "Oh No! We are only beginning to get the word out about COPD, because nobody relates to a disease which doesn't have a name they heard as they were growing up. And now they want to change the name again!!" But the writer was not suggesting a new name for the disease, but only to add a new dimension to the diagnosis.
However I think that a lot of the co-morbidities are made worse by the reaction so many of us had (have?) that, because we don't breathe as well as we used to, we can't exercise.
I clearly remember about eight years ago my daughter coming to visit. She suggested we go for a walk and after ten minutes or so or walking I wanted to slow down, turn round and go back home. I said to my daughter "You don't understand - I have a lung problem and I can't walk that far or that fast!"
Four years (and two silent heart attacks) later I was in rehab, being treated for the high blood pressure, high cholesterol and on Advair, Singulair, Spiriva and Oxygen but able to walk for half an hour at 3 miles/hour and feeling much better!
It really is critical not only to diagnose the disease as early as possible but to fully treat the disease as early as possible in order to head off these co-morbidities which are most likely the side-effect of the terrible downward spiral of increasing breathlessness leading to less exercise leading to increasing breathlessness leading to........

[larrynz]

chrisw you are right when you talk about 'fully treat', only recently have I been put on BP meds and feel better for it, it should have been 6 years ago at least.