Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Increase in cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes concern

Special Correspondent

A study has shown that the disease will be the third leading cause for deaths worldwide by 2010

GULBARGA: P.S. Shankar, physician, has said that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is emerging as a major public health concern with a recent study showing that the disease will be the third leading cause for deaths worldwide by 2010.

Dr. Shankar, who spoke on the issue at the Golden Jubilee Conference of the Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases at Lucknow on Saturday in his gold medal-winning Dr. P.K. Sen-Tuberculosis Association of India oration, told The Hindu here on Sunday that in India the occurrence of the disease is at a rate of 4.1 per cent in those aged above 35 and at a rate of 3.2 per cent among women.

Field study

These figures emerged following a field study in Chandigarh, Delhi, Kanpur and Bangalore. The main cause for the disease is long-term exposure to toxic gases and particles, and most often, related to cigarette smoking.

Terming the disease preventable and treatable, Dr. Shankar said the disease is characterised by airflow limitation and is not fully reversible.

Dr. Shankar said although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are categorised as inflammatory diseases, both have distinctive features.

He said the successful management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease depends on correct diagnosis.

The collaborative efforts of the World Health Organisation and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute have resulted in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines.

These guidelines include assessment and monitoring of the diseases, reduction of risk factors and treatment of patients.

Dr. Shankar said patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may benefit from surgical intervention. Lung Volume Reduction Surgery can reduce hyperinflation, he said.

He added that three clinical trials involving 1,321 patients have shown that this surgery improved the patients' health.

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