COPD Uncovered 2010, a new report issued today,
exposes the devastating economic, social and personal impact of COPD in the 40-65 years
age group - the mainstay of the global workforce1,2. These results have led respiratory
experts to call for the implementation of National Strategies to tackle this disease in the
working age population.
Authored by Education for Health and other leading specialists, the report uncovers the true
cost of COPD in the working age population and reveals its significant impact on work and
quality of life. The authors are appealing to policy makers, the medical community and other
stakeholders such as employers to create and implement tactics such as earlier diagnosis
and management, in order to keep people healthy and productive for longer3.
"It's an economic time-bomb" said Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of Education for Health.
"The key generation driving the economy in most countries are people aged 40-65 years
and in this harsh economic climate, we need to ensure they stay active and productive. With
the incidence of COPD set to rise, with increasing numbers of women being affected than
previously thought, it can only mean that personal and societal cost will also increase."
"COPD is often considered a disease of old men, but there are far more people aged under
65 years with this condition than previously recognised. We are calling for policy makers to
prioritise the early diagnosis and integrated management of COPD in this population".
COPD has wide ranging implications not only for the affected individual, but also for the
wider community. According to the report, in the UK alone, the economic burden of disease
is UK??1.5 billion per annum5 a similar cost to that incurred by European airlines due to the
recent Icelandic ash cloud! This includes not only direct healthcare costs, but factors such as
lost income tax, payment of state benefits and productivity loss due to COPD. These
calculations are based on the current age of retirement, but as many people expect to have
to work beyond their official retirement date6, the economic impact will continue to rise.
COPD is rapidly becoming one of the world's most serious health issues, affecting 210
million people worldwide4, but only half of these people have been diagnosed. COPD can
dramatically impair the productivity of this population. However, it is preventable and
treatable and we encourage those with symptoms such as persistent cough with phlegm,
breathlessness or a wheezy chest to visit their healthcare provider for a lung function test.
Other Key Insights From The Report Include:
- Society Faces A Double Economic Impact From The Growing Copd Crisis - Patients are losing an
average of $1800 per year in lost income due to their COPD, which equates to lifetime
losses of nearly $20,0003. In addition, nearly 1 in 5 of 45-68 year olds are forced to retire
prematurely due to the condition, thereby incurring increased health costs and reducing
personal contribution from taxation3.
- COPD Places A Significant Cost Impact On Healthcare Systems - Individuals of working age are
most often managed within the primary care setting and this places increasing demands
on primary care services7. However, as COPD severity increases, so does the
requirement for patients to be seen in emergency departments or to require
hospitalization. It is these hospitalizations that are responsible for the majority of the
direct costs associated with COPD8.
- People With COPD Feel Unable To Confidently Plan For The Future - The impact of COPD on
people's earning power and overall household income makes them concerned about its
future impact on their lives, and those of their family, and their ability to maintain the
same lifestyle as they had before3.
- Smoking Rates Remain High Regardless Of Disease Severity - Although smoking cessation is
the only known intervention to alter progression and prognosis of COPD, the report
reveals that almost half of patients with mild disease continue to smoke9, and that even
if everyone did stop smoking today, the rates of COPD would still continue to increase
for the next 20 years10. People with COPD need to receive early and appropriate
management including access to pulmonary rehabilitation services along with
appropriate pharmacological intervention in order to keep the disease under control and
avoid exacerbations.
About COPD
COPD is a debilitating, life-threatening and progressive lung disease that interferes with
normal breathing11. Symptoms are often mistakenly attributed to ageing or other
respiratory diseases such as asthma, resulting in COPD being undetected in about 50% of
cases12 and misdiagnosed in about 23%13. A 30% increase in prevalence is expected by the
year 203014. The estimated prevalence of COPD includes approximately 4-13% of adults in
Europe15-19 and approximately 7% of adults in the United States20. While COPD was
previously more common in men, an increase in smoking among women has led to the
disease affecting men and women almost equally4. There is no cure for COPD but it can be
treated.
About COPD Uncovered
COPD Uncovered represents the combined efforts of a multi-disciplinary committee of
international experts, coming together to bring forward some of the most burning issues in
COPD today. Their aim is to highlight the impact of COPD in an understudied and ignored
patient segment between the ages of 40 and 65.
The COPD Uncovered initiative is a compendium of research and analysis undertaken by
experts in respiratory health. COPD Uncovered was first initiated by Education for Health
and Novartis Pharma AG. Novartis Pharma AG is providing financial support for this
initiative, including by commissioning a number of underlying studies. COPD is also
administered by a secretariat from Chandler Chicco Agency (CCA).
The first report from the initiative was published on World COPD Day 200921. It revealed
that more than two billion working hours are lost each week worldwide due to the
condition, and that if left unchecked, COPD could have significant global workforce and
economic implications on patients, families, employers and society as the disease escalates.
The report called for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to advance our knowledge
of COPD, dispel some of the myths surrounding the condition, and ultimately improve
disease management for patients in this key population.
About the Authors
The COPD Uncovered Report, issued on World COPD Day 2010, is authored by the following
individuals, supported by Novartis with editorial assistance from medical education
specialists from CCA:
- Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive, Education for Health and National Respiratory Training
Center, principle lead for COPD Uncovered
- Dr Marianella Salapatas, President, European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases
Patients' Associations
- Professor Thys van derMolen, Department of General Practice, University of Groningen
- John Walsh, President and CEO, COPD Foundation
References
1. US Census Bureau. Current 2009 Population Survey, 2010 annual social and economic
supplement. Available online here. Accessed
October 2010.
2. Office for National Statistics. Annual survey of hours and earnings. Available online here.
Accessed October 2010.
3. Fletcher MJ et al. COPD has significant social and economic impact on a working-age
population of COPD sufferers; an international survey. Abstract and poster presented at
The American Thoracic Society Congress, 18 May 2010
4. World Health Organization. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Available online here. Accessed October 2010.
5. Baldwin M et al A novel method to estimate the economic impact of COPD in patients of
working age. Poster presented at COPD7 International Multidisciplinary Conference, 2
July 2010.
6. MetLife Mature Market Institute. Boomer bookends. Insights into the oldest and
youngest boomers, February 2009. Available online here. Accessed October 2010.
7. Fletcher M et al. Health care utilization in COPD: the burden carried by primary care
practitioners. Primary Care Resp Journal 2010;19(2):A1.
8. Wouters EF. Economic analysis of the Confronting COPD survey: an overview of results.
Respir Med 2003;97(Suppl. C):S3-14.
9. Fletcher MJ et al. How much do COPD patients smoke? A global survey. Abstract and
poster presented at European Respiratory Society Congress, 2010.
10. Mannino DM, Buist AS. Global burden of COPD: risk factors, prevalence, and future
trends. Lancet 2007;370:765-773.
11. Global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD). Global strategy for the
diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive lung disease. Updated
2009. Available online here.. Accessed
October 2010.
12. Halbert RJ, et al. Global burden of COPD: systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur
Respir J 2006;28:523-532.
13. T??lamo C, et al. Diagnostic Labeling of COPD in Five Latin American Cities. CHEST
2007;131(1):60-67.
14. Fletcher MJ et al. Patients of working age with COPD have reduced quality of life in
comparison to available population norms; an international survey. Abstract and poster
presented at The American Thoracic Society Congress 18 May 2010
15. Stang P, Lydick E, Silberman C et al. The prevalence of COPD: using smoking rates to
estimate disease frequency in the general population. Chest 2000;117;354S-9S.
16. Buist AS, McBurnie MA, Vollmer WM, Gillespie S, Burney P, Mannino DM, et al.
International variation in the prevalence of COPD (the BOLD Study): a population-based
prevalence study. Lancet 2007;370(9589):741-50.
17. Viegi G, Pedreschi M, Pistelli F et al. Prevalence of Airways Obstruction in a General
Population:European Respiratory Society vs American Thoracic Society Definition. Chest
2000;117:339S-345S.
18. Pe??a VS, Miravitlles M, Gabriel R et al. Geographic variations in prevalence and
underdiagnosis of COPD: results of the IBERPOC multicenter epidemiological study.
Chest 2000;118:981-989.
19. Shahab L, Jarvis M, Britton J, West R. Prevalence, diagnosis and relation to tobacco
dependence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a nationally representative
population sample. Thorax 2006;61:1043-1047.
20. Mannino DM, et al. Obstructive and restrictive lung disease and functional limitation:
data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination. Journal of Internal
Medicine 2003;254:540-547.
21. Fletcher M, van der Molen T, Salapatas M,Walsh J. COPD Uncovered: a Report. ISBN: 978-0-
9565537
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