Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third cause of death in the world, goes unnoticed for 75% of those who suffer from it. Diagnosing it on time, getting vaccinated and adopting healthy lifestyle habits are fundamental issues to transform the lives of those affected.
Life is much slower for people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (better known as COPD). In their daily lives, they must learn to live with breathing difficulties, a persistent cough, wheezing or a reduced exercise tolerance. They are common symptoms of a condition that causes progressive obstruction of the airways and that It is usually associated with pulmonary emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Every year it causes about three million deaths throughout the world, which makes it the third cause of death worldwide (the fourth in Spain). Despite this, It remains little considered among chronic diseases.
Around 600 million people around the world (approximately 12% of the population) suffer the effects of this pathology, according to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Spain, the number of affected people reaches two million. They all know that, although at first it manifests itself in a mild form, it worsens as the disease progresses.
This not only happens with respiratory symptoms, but also with “other types of comorbidities that add up, such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, emotional disorders or lung cancer“, as explained by Nicole Hass, spokesperson for the Association of Patients with COPD (Apepoc). This organization was born in 2020, as a result of the pandemic, to make this non-curable and disabling chronic disease visible, demand that respiratory health be included in the political and social agendas, and that a national strategy for COPD be resumed.
The expert focuses on mobility limitations that generates this condition: “The accessibility of the places to which the patient is going to travel must be known.”
Having COPD also means having a “reduced immune response.” For this reason, Hass highlights “the role of vaccination in preventing diseases that can cause worsening of the symptoms or that may affect respiratory patients to a greater extent.” Among the most notable vaccines, he details “the flu vaccine, the pneumococcal vaccine, Covid 19 reinforcementsthat of Herpes Zoster and that of tosterin”.
In most cases, COPD develops due to reasons related to smoking and exposure to certain substances in some jobs, but also due to genetic and hereditary factors. The problem, according to Apepoc, is that About 75% of those who suffer from the disease do not know it and, therefore, do not receive adequate treatment. And that is because, in many cases, symptoms are not given importance.
In this regard, the doctor highlights the need for early diagnosis“by assuming a better quality of life since a personalized treatment can be started as soon as possible.” The diagnosis It is performed through a simple, non-invasive study called spirometry.For this reason, the association is demanding a registry of the use of these tests in all Primary Care centres to combat the worrying underdiagnosis.
On the other hand, although COPD has no cure, making lifestyle changes and following appropriate treatments are factors that can significantly improve the quality of life of those affected. “Scientific evidence has shown that physical activity, respiratory physiotherapy and nutrition can help reduce the risk of COPD. improve exercise tolerance in our patients and can reduce exacerbations” says Hass.
Along the same lines, a survey carried out by Apepoc details the most relevant needs expressed by its members. Beyond nutritional habits, aspects such as mental health, stress and anxiety reduction, respiratory physiotherapy, adherence to treatments and smoking prevention stand out. According to Hass, all of this “represents a strong impact on social well-beingnot only of the people who suffer from the disease, but also in their social and emotional environment.
A MORE OPTIMISTIC CONTEXT WITH NEW ADVANCES
Precision medicine and therapeutic innovations have opened up an increasingly hopeful scenario for COPD patients. Apepoc spokesperson Nicole Hass highlights inhaled triple therapy, a treatment that allows advanced patients to receive three medications in a single device and that “improves dyspnea and quality of life and reduces exacerbations.” In this regard, the doctor is satisfied that, after numerous meetings over the last three years with political groups and health spokespeople, the association has played a key role in removing the visa that limited access to this treatment. Other good news, she says, is found in the recent studies of other pharmacological treatments: “The first biological treatment and research with stem cells are expected to be approved, which is a hope for many of our patients.” To a large extent, because it will serve to repair damaged lung tissue. Pending its arrival, the inhaled route is a solution that acts directly on the lung. The problem, says Hass, is that current devices “are difficult to use and only 50% of patients follow the treatment correctly.” That’s why he hopes that “new and better devices will soon emerge that will facilitate better treatment compliance.”
