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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Frontier Healthcare

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe and can cause symptoms like coughing with lots of mucus, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. 1 COPD mainly includes two conditions:
  • Emphysema: It affects the lungs by damaging the tiny air sacs where gas is exchanged, making it difficult to get air in and out of the lungs.2
  • Chronic bronchitis: It happens when the airways in the lungs are repeatedly irritated and inflamed, leading to a persistent cough and mucus buildup.1

Prevalence of COPD

COPD is a significant global health concern and the third leading cause of death worldwide.3 In Singapore, COPD ranks as the tenth leading cause of death, impacting about 5.9% of the general population and 26% of those aged 55 and older. From 2007 to 2020, Google searches for COPD increased, reflecting a rise in COPD-related health concerns and greater online information-seeking in Singapore.3 COPD was the ninth leading cause of years of life lost in 2017.4 COPD accounted for 1.2% of deaths in 2020, 1.1% in 2021, and 1.2% in 2022.5

Risk Factors Associated With COPD

While it is well known that smokers are more likely to get COPD, it is also important to understand that about 3% to 10% of people who do not smoke can still develop COPD. This shows that there are other factors besides smoking that can increase the risk of developing this condition.4 Below is a detailed list of all risk factors associated with COPD4,6
PES (COPD)_Rec_v0.2_02Sep24_FINAL-02

Symptoms of COPD

The common symptoms associated with COPD include:2,6

Diagnosis of COPD

The gold standard for the diagnosis of COPD is spirometry. Spirometry is a lung function test that measures both the volume of air breathed out and the speed at which it is expelled. 7

Management of COPD

The most effective single intervention for COPD is smoking cessation, which significantly slows the decline in lung function and reduces mortality, regardless of the stage of the disease.8 Following are all the management techniques to consider: 2,4,9

Prevention of COPD

Effective strategies to help prevent COPD include: 2
PES (COPD)_Rec_v0.2_02Sep24_FINAL-09
By incorporating these preventive measures, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of developing COPD.
References

1. COPD – What Is COPD? | NHLBI, NIH. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

2. Agarwal AK, Raja A, Brown BD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559281/. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

3. Fang Y, Shepherd TA, Smith HE. Examining the Trends in Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior About Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Singapore: Analysis of Data From Google Trends and the Global Burden of Disease Study. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(10):e19307.

4. MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines 2/2017 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Executive Summary. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider4/guidelines/copd-cpg-2017_summary-card.pdf. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

5. MOH Principal Causes of Death. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-statistics/singapore-health-facts/principal-causes-of-death. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

6. COPD – Causes and Risk Factors | NHLBI, NIH. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd/causes. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

7. COPD – Diagnosis | NHLBI, NIH. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd/diagnosis. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

8. Managing stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Focusing on inhalers. Available at: https://www.ace-hta.gov.sg/docs/default-source/acgs/managing-stable-copd—focusing-on-inhalers-(sep-2018).pdf. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.

9. Appropriate Care Guide. Diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic approach. Available at: https://www.ace-hta.gov.sg/docs/default-source/acgs/diagnosing-copd—a-systematic-approach-(nov-2018)c6d13cdac68a4b4ea5472a65343bee59.pdf. Accessed on: 02 August 2024.
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