New research from the Lung Association shows chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a group of devastating respiratory conditions including emphysema and bronchitis, is dramatically undiagnosed.
About 1.5 million Canadians are diagnosed with COPD, while another 1.6 million are living with the disease without knowing it. The 3 million Canadians living with COPD is double previous estimates.
COPD is also prevalent among younger baby boomers.
One in seven, aged 45 to 49, or 375,000 Canadians, may have the disease.
COPD sufferers lose their lung function gradually, so they may not bring any specific complaints to their doctor, said Dr. Alan Kaplan, a Richmond Hill family doctor and chairman of the Family Physician Airway Group of Canada.
"Because you lose it slowly, you don't realize it," he said.
Kaplan said prevention, namely quitting smoking, is the best way to tackle COPD. He also called for better early diagnosis in Canadians, particularly smokers, over 40 with recurring symptoms such as coughs and respiratory infections.
"We can't reverse it. We can't stop it. We can slow its progression," Kaplan said.
Source: Sun Media
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