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Epidemiology Of COPD

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is progressive disease affecting the lungs. It is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, as well as the abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles and gases (Girod & King, 2005). Smoking is a major risk factor for both the mortality and morbidity of COPD. Other causes may include: bronchial hyper-responsiveness, indoor and outdoor air pollution, allergy, biomass fuels and smoke exposure for women cooking in poorly ventilated conditions (Mclvor, Tunks & Todd, 2010 and Calverley & Walker, 2003). Current treatment approaches include: prevention of disease progression, management of stable disease and management of exacerbations (Calverley et al., 2003). …show more content…

Mclvor et al. state that the epidemiology of this disease will continue to change and the number of cases among women will rise (2010). In 1998, the WHO estimated that COPD was the fifth most common cause of death worldwide. (Mclvor et al., 2010) Also, the Global Burden of Disease Studies estimated that COPD would become the third most common cause of mortality by 2020 (Calverley et al., 2003). COPD presents a personal burden. Sufferers of this disease have reported significant disability and restriction as a result of COPD (Calverley et al., 2003). “Patients tend to be slow to seek medical help and are reluctant to press for more public attention to their problems” (Calverley et al., 2003). This is most likely due to the social stigma attached to being diagnosed with a disease. Under diagnosis of this disease is a major problem. In fact, Decramer, Janssens & Miravitlles state that 60-85% of patients (usually with mild to moderate disease) remain undiagnosed …show more content…

Addressing the sex difference in COPD would first need to involve further research and evidence based conclusions on why these differences exist. Both biological and environmental factors need to be taken into consideration. Since chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is incurable (WHO, 2016), prevention is the number one solution to this growing health concern. One public health recommendation to address the sex differences in COPD is to tackle smoking, which is a major risk factor for COPD. Barnes states in his work that “the increased morbidity and mortality from COPD during the last few decades is partly driven by their increase in women” (2016), Preventing both men and women from ever starting smoking will greatly decrease the prevalence rates of COPD in general. Widespread and improved smoking interventions are also important for reducing the risk of developing COPD among those who already smoke. To address the sex difference in COPD, where males seem to be affected by this disease more often, prevention methods that cater more specifically to males may be beneficial. For example, ads or posters with slogans or phrases that pertain particularly to

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