.
MEDICAL: CONDITIONS: CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD)
Survey: Awareness of COPD - The Nation's Fourth Leading Cause of Death -
is Rising, But Understanding is Still Low
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:15:56 -0500
From: "NIH OLIB (NIH/OD)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Survey: Awareness of COPD - The Nation's Fourth Leading
Cause of Death - is Rising, But Understanding is Still Low
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
<http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/>
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 2, 2009
SURVEY: AWARENESS OF COPD - THE NATION'S FOURTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH -
IS RISING, BUT UNDERSTANDING IS STILL LOW
Smokers and Those At Risk Far Less Likely To Talk To Their Doctor About Symptoms
Awareness of COPD-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-continues to grow
in the United States, according to national survey results released today
by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National
Institutes of Health.
Sixty-eight percent of adults are now aware of COPD, a disease that
affects 1 in 5 people over age 45, compared with 64 percent last year, and
49 percent in a 2004 survey. Among a high risk group, those who are
currently smoking, awareness rose to 74 percent compared to 69 percent a
year ago.
Less than half of all adults, 44 percent, understand that the disease can
be treated. November is National COPD Awareness Month.
"Awareness is an important first step," said James P. Kiley, Ph.D.,
director, NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases. "However, awareness alone is
not enough. People at risk of developing the disease need to know what
the disease looks and feels like, and most importantly, to understand that
it can be treated. The key is to get tested and start treatment as soon
as possible."
COPD, which is sometimes referred to as chronic bronchitis or emphysema,
is a serious lung disease affecting 24 million men and women in the United
States. However, half of them remain undiagnosed despite recognizable
symptoms such as shortness of breath while doing activities that used to
be easy, wheezing, or chronic cough (sometimes called a "smoker's cough.")
Eight out of 10 cases of COPD are due to smoking, typically affecting
those over 40. The remaining cases are due to genetics or other
environmental exposures.
The survey showed that physicians maintain an optimistic view about COPD
treatability. Approximately 9 out of 10 primary care physicians agree
that available treatments can optimize quality of life for their patients
with COPD. However, the survey also showed that this message may not be
familiar to their patients.
Symptoms of COPD were approximately two times more common among current
smokers than former smokers, but current smokers are only half as likely
to talk to their doctors about these symptoms. Survey results also showed
that 41 percent of current smokers do not talk to their doctors about
these symptoms because they do not want to hear another quit smoking
message.
COPD is diagnosed with a simple noninvasive breathing test called
spirometry, which can be conducted in a doctor's office. Taking the test
involves breathing hard and fast into a tube connected to a machine which
measures the total amount of air exhaled, called the forced vital capacity
or FVC, and how much air is exhaled in the first second, called the forced
expiratory volume in one second or FEV1.
"We know that for many people, taking the step to talk to a doctor about
their smoking and symptoms is difficult," said Kiley. "But these actions,
including testing of lung function, should be seen as proactive for better
health."
The NHLBI analyzed the results of the annual HealthStyles and DocStyles
surveys of the public health attitudes, knowledge, practices, and
lifestyle habits of consumers and health care professionals, conducted
each year by Porter Novelli, communications contractor for NHLBI's COPD
Learn More Breathe Better campaign. The results represent a sample of
4,172 consumers through a mailed survey with a margin of error of plus or
minus 1.5 percentage points and 1,000 physicians through a Web-based
survey with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Both
surveys were conducted in summer 2009.
The NHLBI initiated the first national awareness campaign on COPD, called
the COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign, in 2007 to improve knowledge
about COPD among those already diagnosed and at risk for COPD, as well as
health care providers - particularly those in a primary care setting. The
program's new effort, Country Conquers COPD, aims to reach and raise
knowledge of COPD among people at-risk at country-themed fairs and
festivals across the country.
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to
the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel,
lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also
administers national health education campaigns on women and heart
disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press
releases and other materials are available online at
<http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov>
RESOURCES:
The COPD Learn More Breathe Better Campaign:
<http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/>
Diseases and Conditions Index: COPD:
<http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html>
Follow COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign on
Twitter: @BreatheBetter
Find COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign on Facebook:
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chronic-Obstructive-Pulmonary-
Disease-COPD-Learn-More-Breathe-Better/45855940490>
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research
Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal
agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational
medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures
for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its
programs, visit
<http://www.nih.gov>
##
This NIH News Release is available online at:
<http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2009/nhlbi-02.htm>.
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
[log in to unmask]
<http://daviddillard.businesscard2.com>
Net-Gold
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold>
Index: <http://tinyurl.com/myxb4w>
<http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html>
<http://groups.google.com/group/net-gold?hl=en>
<http://net-gold.jiglu.com/>
General Internet & Print Resources
<http://guides.temple.edu/general-internet>
COUNTRIES
<http://guides.temple.edu/general-country-info>
EMPLOYMENT
<http://guides.temple.edu/EMPLOYMENT>
TOURISM
<http://guides.temple.edu/tourism>
DISABILITIES
http://guides.temple.edu/DISABILITIES
INDOOR GARDENING
<http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/>
Educator-Gold
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Educator-Gold/>
K12ADMINLIFE
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12AdminLIFE/>
THE COLLEGE LEARNING CENTER
<http://tinyurl.com/yae7w79>
Nina Dillard's Photographs on Net-Gold
<http://tinyurl.com/36qd2o>
Net-Gold Membership Required to View Photos
Twitter: davidpdillard
Bushell, R. & Sheldon, P. (eds),
Wellness and Tourism: Mind, Body, Spirit,
Place, New York: Cognizant Communication Books.
Wellness Tourism: Bibliographic and Webliographic Essay
David P. Dillard
<http://tinyurl.com/p63whl>
<http://tinyurl.com/ou53aw>
INDOOR GARDENING
Improve Your Chances for Indoor Gardening Success
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/
http://groups.google.com/group/indoor-gardening-and-urban-gardening
http://indoorgardening.jiglu.com/
SPORT-MED
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/sport-med.html
http://sportmed.jiglu.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/sport-med
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sports-med/
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/sport-med.html
Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports Tourism
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/
http://groups.google.com/group/healthrecsport
http://healthrecsport.jiglu.com/
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/health-recreation-sports-tourism.html
Please Ignore All Links to JIGLU
in search results for Net-Gold and related lists.
The Net-Gold relationship with JIGLU has
been terminated by JIGLU and these are dead links.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/30664
.
|