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Two Thirds of Family
Doctors Believe COPD will be the Leading Cause of Death in 2020
SAN DIEGO
,
California
, May 21/PRNewswire/ --
- Management of Exacerbations
`Crucial' to Reduce COPD Mortality
Survey results from the `Time to Live' report, presented today at the
American Thoracic Society International
Congress, show over two thirds of primary
care physicians (66%) fear COPD will be the leading cause of death in
2020 despite almost all (98%) believing that
there are effective treatments available
for this condition[1].
COPD is a major cause of death worldwide, and, according to the World
Health Organisation (WHO), is currently the
fourth most common cause of death after
cancer, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease[2]. Of these
diseases, only COPD shows increasing rates
of mortality - the WHO estimate COPD
will become the third most common cause of death by 2020. However,
today's results suggest the WHO may have
underestimated the extent to which COPD
prevalence will increase, according to European physicians at the front
line of COPD management.
The survey elements of the `Time to Live' report, comprising structured
telephone interviews of primary care
physicians in five European countries (
Germany
,
France
,
UK
,
Italy
and
Spain
), shows 73% consider reduced hospitalisations
are crucial for the well being of COPD patients - a statistic
reinforced by previous studies showing between 22% - 43% of COPD patients
hospitalised due to an exacerbation will die within one year [3,4,5,6.]
Around 90% of the general practitioners questioned believe prevention of
exacerbations should be a prominent
consideration in choosing a patient's COPD
therapy, with a similar number believing reduced exacerbations are
essential to improve patients'
health-related quality of life - ultimately in reducing
the risk of COPD prevalence rates exceeding WHO predictions over the
next 14 years.
68% believe that inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) should be considered at
an early stage in therapy. Half of
those questioned suggest patients be prescribed
either an ICS or a combination therapy such as ICS and long-acting
beta 2 agonist (LABA) to minimise the
likelihood and impact of exacerbations.
"These results provide further evidence of the crucial impact of
preventing and managing COPD exacerbations
and the subsequent impact this has on
patients' health-related quality of life," explained `Time to Live'
author Dr John Haughney, a General
Practitioner in
Scotland
and Chairman of the
UK
General Practice Airways Group.
"The survey also highlights the need for effective
treatments such as ICS / LABA combinations, which have been proven
to reduce patient exacerbations, important
factors in reducing the risk of hospitalisations
and subsequent mortality associated with COPD", he continued.
The Time to Live survey was supported by an unrestricted educational
grant from AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca are the
manufacturers of Symbicort(R), a combination
of the inhaled corticosteroid budesonide and rapid- and long-acting
beta-agonist formoterol, which is indicated for the treatment of COPD
and asthma
References:
1) Primary Care Physicians' Perception and Practice in Management
of COPD Patients (results from the Time to Live report), scheduled
for presentation at ATS,
May 21, 2006
2) http://www.who.int/respiratory/copd/en/
3) Eriksen N, et al. Ugeskr Laeger 2003;165:3499-3502
4) Groenewegen KH, et al. Chest 2003;124:459-467
5) Almagro P, et al. Chest 2002;121:1441-1448
6) Connors AF, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1996;154:959-967
(23/5/06)
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