Re-emergence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: it is time to think COPDifferently

Abstract

Knowledge of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a common, preventable and treatable condition has advanced in the last two decades, as evidenced by the increase in scientific literature. Tobacco smoking still remains a predominant risk factor for COPD. Thus smoking cessation management should be obligatory in every case. Although spirometry is integral to the diagnosis of COPD, one should also be aware of its limitations. COPD is a chronic disease associated with comorbidities that define its extrapulmonary manifestations. Systemic inflammation provides the biological link, while exacerbations play a prominent role in the current approach to disease evaluation. This paper reviews the latest Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease revision, focusing on the paradigm shift in assessment that would directly influence therapeutic decisions. Also discussed are the newer drugs and combinations of existing inhaler therapies that now present clinicians with more options, as well as bronchoscopic interventions that may perhaps offer a lower-morbidity alternative than surgical lung volume reduction. Finally, this review highlights how integrated care models can bridge the gap between components and complete a comprehensive sphere of COPD care.

Spatial pattern and heterogeneity of chronic respiratory diseases and relationship to socio-demographic factors in Thailand in the period 2016 to 2019

“…Even when properly diagnosed, between one and two thirds do not receive adequate treatment. Even in Singapore, CRDs ranks as the seventh or eight most common cause of hospitalization due to missed diagnosis (Tee, 2013). Geographic information systems (GIS) and computer-aided graphical methods have been used to visualize spatiotemporal occurrences of various diseases, which assists health service planning and public health interventions (Fradelos et al, 2014;Noble et al, 2012;Ramírez-Aldana et al, 2020).…”