Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is already – according to WHO – the third cause of death in the world, after ischemic heart disease and stroke. In Poland, 2 million people suffer from it, but as much as 80 percent. of them do not know about it and are not treated – experts are alarming.
These people are at risk of respiratory disability and premature death, doctors emphasized on Tuesday at a press conference held in Warsaw on the eve of World COPD Day. This year it is celebrated on November 19 under the slogan: It is not too late.
In Poland, the celebration of the Day is organized by: the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients and the Polish Society of Lung Diseases. On this occasion, on November 19-21, free spirometry tests, which are the basis of COPD diagnostics, will be held in the capital. At the headquarters of the National Health Fund in Warsaw on November 24 from Workshops for patients diagnosed with COPD will be held at 18, during which patients will learn more about the disease and its treatment methods.
Dr. Tadeusz Zielonka, chairman of the Warsaw-Otwock branch of the Polish Society of Lung Diseases, recalled that COPD suffers mainly from people over 40 who smoke or have smoked tobacco for many years. Among other environmental risk factors for disease that are gaining importance, the pulmonologist mentioned air pollution. That is why we should not defend ourselves so much against Poland’s obligation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, he emphasized. According to him, the failure to reduce CO2 emissions will be very costly for the state budget in the future, as it will significantly increase the expenses for treatment and hospitalization of patients.
Prof. Andrzej Poszowski, Deputy Director of Science at the Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw, explained that irritants such as tobacco smoke and pollution cause chronic inflammation in the bronchi and lungs, and that COPD develops on this basis. The disease damages the lungs and worsens their function.
It manifests itself mainly by chronic cough (especially during the day) accompanied by expectoration of sputum and shortness of breath – initially during exercise, and later also at rest. Untreated, it leads to complete respiratory failure.
Andrzej Borucki, who was present at the Tuesday meeting, who found out in 2001 that he had COPD, recalled that the disease first manifested itself with severe shortness of breath, fatigue and nausea after running. Now, when I walk 100 steps, I have to rest longer than I was walking – he explained.
Prof. Wantowski noted that COPD is a systemic disease in which not only the lungs and bronchi are affected, but also the cardiovascular system. Some studies show that up to half of COPD patients also suffer from cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, heart attacks, arrhythmias, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, anemia, hormonal disorders, and lung cancer.
Due to chronic hypoxia and problems with cerebral circulation, patients develop disturbances in the central nervous system. Even in 50 percent. patients with COPD are depressed – explained Prof. Wantowski. This is related to the fact that the disease leads to social isolation, loneliness, and due to respiratory failure the patient is more and more dependent on other people.
COPD does not arise overnight, it is many months and years of lung function decline, explained Dr. Piotr Dąbrowiecki, president of the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients’ Associations. He emphasized that this offered a chance to detect mild to moderate COPD. You can then apply appropriate therapy and education, thanks to which the patient, among others, he can quit smoking and survive as long as a healthy person.
Unfortunately, still too many patients have COPD diagnosed in the advanced form – said the specialist. Out of 2 million patients in Poland, the diagnosis is made only about 20%. of them.
Experts noted that late diagnosis of COPD means that the patient’s condition and prognosis are much worse, and treatment – much more expensive. Treatment of the early stages of COPD is definitely cheaper than the severe stages, which consumes 90 percent. all expenses for the disease – emphasized Dr. Zielonka.
According to him, late diagnosis of COPD results, among others, from patients and primary care physicians ignoring the symptoms of the disease, such as cough and shortness of breath. As a result, patients are not referred to the relatively cheap spirometry test, which is the basis for the diagnosis of COPD.
Unfortunately, spirometry is performed much less frequently than many other basic tests, such as blood count, glucose level, and even an ECG – said Dr. Zielonka.
Experts at the Tuesday meeting assessed that in order to reduce the mortality associated with COPD, it is necessary, inter alia, to increasing access to spirometric tests through better financing, as well as educating the staff who perform them, as currently many spirometry tests are of poor quality. (PAP)