COPD, a major cause of deaths worldwide
KARACHI: With approximately three million deaths annually attributed to COPD, it is predicted to become a major cause of worldwide deaths.
Health experts at a workshop on COPD stated this on Saturday.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, develops primarily due to smoking, use of biomass fuels and air pollution.
Early diagnosis and immediate cessation of smoking are the most effective interventions to reduce the risk and to stop its progression from becoming an increasing burden on society.
Doctors stated that it is an under recognised chronic condition associated with increasing mortality; warning that if not controlled, it is destined to be the fourth most common cause of deaths worldwide. Other factors in the region such prevalence of Shisha smoking; use of biomass fuels; high pollution and second-hand smoke also contribute to risk of contacting this disease.
While addressing this problem, Dr Noman Ahmed, who is serving in chest unit at a private hospital, said that currently there is no cure for COPD, but if patients are diagnosed and treated early, their symptoms and long-term prognosis can be greatly improved. However, estimates suggest only half of those diagnosed with COPD are actively receiving treatment for their condition, and are not willing to stop smoking, which is the main cause of this ailment.
Increased awareness of COPD within the healthcare profession and the general public is needed to ensure early diagnosis and effective treatment. The principal challenge for primary care professionals is to proactively identify high-risk patients during routine co-assessments, he mentioned. He added that an obvious starting point would to assess patients who are known smokers, and/or all new patients. “Possible high-risk patients include current and ex-smokers; those aged over 40 years, those afflicted with a chesty cough; those who report breathlessness when walking upstairs, or those who report frequent coughs and colds during the winter months,” he said. He added that spirometry or lung function testing could confirm an initial diagnosis.
Common symptoms of COPD include cough, wheezing, sputum production, and dyspnoea.
He appealed the civil society to rise to the occasion create awareness on COPD. Early diagnosis and proper treatment is its only prevention, he concluded. staff report
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