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Spirometry day: EU Commissioner for health supports lung testing

Press release, 10 June 2013

The European COPD Coalition organised a FREE spirometry test (lung capacity assessment) on 10 June 2013 at the European Commission, Berlaymont building.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung and airways disease that is treatable but not curable. It is a deadly chronic disease that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. 

(picture EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer policy, Tonio Borg, taking a spirometry test)

The event was very successful. In 4 hours, no less than 250 people took the test. 

EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg showed his support to the fight against COPD by taking the lung test himself at the event.

In his statement that followed, he highlighted the need for further disease prevention by inviting people to take the test as well.

“The figures are impressive, millions of citizens suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and from asthma. More than 40 million suffer from COPD alone. This can be prevented. If one has a breathing problem, one should really take a spirometry test. It is so easy, I have done it, so everyone can do it”.

Spirometry tests are easy and quick to undertake, they are part of the diagnosis of respiratory diseases and testing your lung capacity will only take you 10 minutes. 10 minutes that can save much time and quality of life. Spirometry is a simple way to find out if your lungs or airways are obstructed.

 

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT COPD

1)                Up to 10 % of Europeans are affected by COPD.

2)                200 000 to 300 000 people in Europe die of COPD every year.

3)                The number of deaths from COPD has increased more than 60 % over the last 20 years.

4)                COPD is likely to become the 3rd leading cause of death in the world by 2030. Now ranking 5th, it is the only major cause of death expected to increase.

5)                COPD affects men and women almost equally.

6)                COPD is a long term, irreversible lung and airways disease; it has no definitive cure.

7)                COPD causes wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms which make it hard to move air in and out of the lungs.

8)                COPD is often misdiagnosed and confused with asthma.

9)                Whether a person smokes or not, occupational factors such as intense and prolonged exposure to dust, chemicals, vapours… can result in COPD.

10)           And yet, COPD is quick and easy to diagnose. The earlier it is caught, the easier it is treated.

Tonio Borg’s interview, video and pictures of the event.

Information: www.copdcoalition.eu

Contact : Catherine Hartmann Catherine.hartmann@copdcoalition.eu, and 0488 949613 

Chronic diseases: a challenge still not addressed by the European Commission

OPEN LETTER to José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, sent by ECDA, the European Chronic Disease Alliance, of which ECC is a member.

On 14th May 2013, 10 health organisations denounced the lack of action of the European Commission on chronic diseases in a open letter addressed to its President, José Barroso and asking him to respect the European Union’s commitment to prevent the onset of preventable chronic diseases and act upon their disastrous impact. Here is the text in full (and in PDF)

 

Open Letter to Mr. José Manuel Barroso
President European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
1049 Brussels

Brussels, 14 May 2013

Dear President Barroso,

We are the European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA) – an alliance of 10 organisations representing over 100,000 health professionals and millions of patients.

We write to you again now because we are concerned about the lack of political will with regard to chronic diseases from the leadership of the European Union. This is notwithstanding the ground-breaking political declaration that Heads of State adopted in September 2011 during the General Assembly of the United Nations on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Not to mention – closer to home – the EU Council Conclusions on Innovative approaches for chronic diseases in public health and healthcare systems (2010) and the European Parliament’s Resolution (2011)*. (more…)

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Alpha1 anti-trypsin deficiency (AATD)

ECC attended the 4th International Alpha1 patient congress, 11-12 April in Barcelona, where presentations were made and discussions held on the nature of COPD caused by the of Alpha1 anti-trypsin deficiency, treatment options (if any), national and regional registries, research development and potential cure. During the interactive sessions, patients shared their first-hand experience with the disease and expressed their wishes for a better and earlier diagnosis of AATD, equal access to treatment and absence of stigma. The event was also an opportunity for AATD patient organisations from around the world to meet and mingle, to learn from one another’s activities and to display through an exhibition the scope of their association’s work.

(In the picture: Mr. John Walsh, President & CEO, Alpha-­‐1 Foundation, USA, Prof.Sten Eriksson,Sweden, Honorary Guest Sr.Boi Ruiz,Catalonian Minister of Health, Spain; Sra. Mercedes Vinuesa Sebastian, Dir Gral Public Health,Quality & Innovation, Spain, Sr. Victor Grifols, President & CEO, Grifols, Spain)

During the meeting, the recommendations made in the report “Alpha-1 in the European Union – Expert Recommendations” presented in the European Parliament in 2011 was reiterated.   (more…)

Where does COPD stand in the European political agenda?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is not the object of a specific piece of European legislation at present, but several issues in direct relation with COPD are regulated by the EU. What is the role of the EU to help defeat COPD?

Disease prevention measures, organisation of care including the reimbursement of healthcare costs, and management of services are traditionally national matters, the European Union has a subsidiary role in relation with health issues in general. Public health is a policy area where the Union supports, complements or supplements the actions of the 27 Member States.

However, some competences are shared between the Union and the Member States:

(more…)

Telemonitoring for COPD patients: more research needed

Two articles recently published online reviewed the use of telemonitoring for the care of COPD patients.

The “Effect of telehealth on quality of life and psychological outcomes over 12 months (Whole Systems Demonstrator telehealth questionnaire study): nested study of patient reported outcomes in a pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial” article published in the BMJ, on 26 February 2013, came to the conclusion that “Telehealth did not improve quality of life or psychological outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, or heart failure over 12 months“.

The InMedica website launched a press release , on 21 January 2013, (see item 10, in the list) announcing that  ”telehealth is [projected] to reach 1.8 million patients worldwide by 2017, according to The World Market for Telehealth – An Analysis of Demand Dynamics – 2012“. Although not focusing on COPD, the piece promoted telehealth for COPD patients: “The number of telehealth patients with COPD is also projected to grow strongly as telehealth focus continues to expand to respiratory diseases. The successful results of the Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) programme in the U.K. are serving as strong evidence-base for the benefits of telehealth for COPD patients“.

(more…)