About the COPD
According to the latest estimates, COPD affects more than 300 million people worldwide and the prevalence and burden of COPD are projected to increase over the coming decades due to a combination of continued exposure to COPD risk factors and the aging of the world’s population.1,2 It has also been observed that the prevalence among women is increasing, due in part to increased tobacco use among women worldwide and exposure to biomass fuels.3 According to the latest estimates of the WHO (World Health Organization), COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths in 2019.1,2,4
Extensive under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis lead to patients receiving no treatment or incorrect treatment. Appropriate and earlier diagnosis of COPD can have a very significant public-health impact.2
COPD AT A GLANCE
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which means5:
Chronic - it's a long-term condition.
Obstructive - the airways have become narrower, slightly blocking or obstructing the flow of air during expiration.
Pulmonary - it affects the lungs.
Disease - it's a medical condition.
The term COPD is used to describe a group of lung conditions that make it difficult to empty the air out of the lungs. This happens when lung tissue has been damaged, making the airways narrower. Mucus can also partially block airways, and the lining of the airways can become swollen and inflamed. All these factors make it harder for air to move in and out during breathing, and the lungs are less able to take in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.5
The main COPD symptoms are dyspnea and/or cough with or without sputum production. People living with COPD may experience acute events characterized by increased respiratory symptoms called exacerbations that influence their health status and prognosis and require specific preventive and therapeutic measures.2
Patients with COPD frequently harbor other comorbid diseases that also influence their clinical condition and prognosis and require specific treatment as well. These comorbid conditions can mimic and/or aggravate an acute exacerbation. The most frequent chronic diseases associated with COPD include cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, metabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders, chronic kidney disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, and others.
Comorbidities appear earlier in life in people with COPD and often remain undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, unmanaged or mismanaged. The frequent morbidities affecting patients with COPD do not occur at random, but are the result of syndemics, defined as the occurrence of disease clusters with shared risk factors and biological interactions that exacerbate the prognosis and burden of disease on individuals and society.6
The Main Risk Factors
What are the main risk factors associated with COPD?
What are the main risk factors associated with COPD? The main environmental exposures leading to COPD are tobacco smoking and the inhalation of toxic particles and gases from household and outdoor air pollution. There are also genetic risk factors that may predispose some individuals to developing the disease; the most relevant (albeit rare) genetic risk factor for COPD identified to date is mutations in the SERPINA1 gene that lead to α-1 antitrypsin deficiency.2,7
Another important aspect is COPD related to early-life events, like prematurity. Prematurity is associated with low birth weight, nutritional problems, susceptibility to respiratory infections, and poor lung function early in life. Together with insults such as exposure to tobacco smoke in the second half of pregnancy, prematurity can cause impairment in alveolar, vascular, and airway development, leading to reduced lung maturation postnatally, particularly in infants born before 28 weeks’ gestation. These pathological changes increase susceptibility to COPD later in life.7
References:
- Adeloye et al., Lancet Respir Med 2022; 10: 447–58 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35279265/
- GOLD Report 2023 https://goldcopd.org/2023-gold-report-2/
- Gut-Gobert et al., Eur Respir Rev 2019; 28: 180055 https://doi.org/10.1183/16000617.0055-2018 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-(copd)
- Asthma + Lung UK. What is COPD? Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/what-copd
- Fabbri et al., Lancet Respir Med 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00261-8
- Stolz et al., The Lancet Commissions 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01273-9
CHIESI AND COPD
Chiesi Farmaceutici is fully committed to the care and improvement of the quality of life of people suffering from respiratory diseases including COPD. In the search for continuous improvement in the health of patients, Chiesi Farmaceutici researches and develops new therapeutic solutions.
Chiesi’s COPD Clinical Trials
A 52-week, Placebo- and Active- Controlled (Roflumilast, Daliresp® 500µg) Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Two Doses of CHF6001 DPI (Tanimilast) as add-on to Maintenance Triple Therapy in Subjects With COPD and Chronic Bronchitis. (PILLAR)
