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Case Statements COPD
	Foreword
	Key Facts
Economic Case Statements
	Contents
	Executive Summary

COPD Case

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Case Statement

Foreword

COPD is a short-hand term for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. People with chronic asthma and bronchiectasis are also sometimes given this diagnostic label. In general, the conditions are progressive, disabling and all too common. The cost for sufferers, their carers, governments and society is substantial. Yet expenditure and consistency of management are well below ideal.

Smoking is the major risk factor, but more research is needed into what disease processes actually take place which cause some (but not all) smokers to develop COPD. We need to know more about how common and burdensome COPD is in both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians and New Zealanders.

Perceptions abound that COPD is unattractive and unrewarding to treat, that it is self-inflicted, and that there are no effective remedies. Current medical evidence can strongly refute these perceptions. Greater knowledge about cause, diagnosis and management would allow earlier diagnosis and better outcomes. Further inroads on the uptake of smoking by our young people would lead to progressive decline in the prevalence of COPD (and several other important health problems). Wider use of more effective smoking cessation regimens would slow progression of impaired lung function and development of disability. Treatments that have been shown to help people with COPD need to be more accessible to the many thousands of Australians and New Zealanders with established COPD, through committed expenditure.

Limited knowledge and a lack of public information have kept COPD an “orphan disease” and its management largely ineffectual. The Australian Lung Foundation’s Case Statement is one step towards drawing the attention of the public, governments, researchers and health professionals to COPD. We hope this will encourage better focussing of research and treatment efforts, rationalisation of expenditure, effective selfcare partnerships between patients and the medical profession, and improved wellbeing for the half-million or more sufferers and their carers.

Above all, this information is aimed to create an environment of optimism and collaboration to empower coordinated action nationally.

Dr Peter Frith FRACP
Chairman
The Australian Lung Foundation Chronic Airflow Limitation Consultative Group COPD

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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - 2001

(also referred to as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, COAD and CAL)

A Growing Problem Worldwide In 1990 COPD ranked 12th in the Global Burden of Disease Study and it is projected to rank 5th in 2020.
High Cost	High Severity and Burden
Highest hospital cost of any respiratory disease Enormous indirect costs, including absenteeism, early retirement and burden on carers Fourth leading cause of mortality in Australia Leading cause of death among indigenous Australians Estimated direct and indirect costs, $800m pa	Third leading cause of burden of disease in Australia Increasing rapidly amongst women Not reversible Co-morbidities often exist, of which depression is a significant one Creates significant emotional and physical impairment and is a health state perceived on par with paraplegia and AIDS Australia’s most burdensome respiratory disease

Low Awareness and Understanding	Low Attention
Low community awareness, despite its burden on society Prevalence data is desperately needed to plan for better management Available data indicates COPD could affect 1 in 10 people aged over 45 Inconsistent definitions and descriptions continue, even amongst health professionals	Often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed Limited and disproportionate attention from health professionals or Government Causal links with smoking create some stigma