On Wednesday, Nov. 19 – World COPD Day – U.S. News and an array of experts will host a Twitter chat on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Participants include the NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the COPD Foundation. During the chat, we’ll discuss everything from the signs and symptoms of COPD, to risk factors, treatment options and clinical trials for those who have the disease.
Who: @USNewsHealth, @BreatheBetter, @NIH_NHLBI, @COPDFoundation and @CDCChronic.
What: A Twitter chat on living with COPD. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #COPDChat.
Where: http://tweetchat.com/room/COPDChat
When: Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. EST.
Why: About 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, and millions more may have it without realizing it. COPD is an umbrella term that describes progressive lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, nonreversible asthma and some forms of bronchiectasis, according to the COPD Foundation. It causes increasing breathlessness, and there’s no cure – rather, doctors aim to slow progression as much as possible. COPD, which is often caused by smoking, is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability.