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COPD: the patient perspective
Authors Jones P, Watz H, Wouters E, Cazzola M, Finch D
Received 10 April 2015
Accepted for publication 26 November 2015
Published 19 February 2016 Volume 2016:11(1st World Lung Disease Summit) Pages 13—20
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S85977
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 4
Editor who approved publication: Dr Richard Russell
Paul W Jones,1 Henrik Watz,2 Emiel FM Wouters,3 Mario Cazzola4
1Division of Clinical Science, St George’s, University of London, London, UK; 2Pulmonary Research Institute at Lung Clinic Grosshansdorf, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany; 3CIRO+, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; 4Unit of Respiratory Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Systemic Medicine, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata,’ Rome, Italy
Abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent disease characterized by nonreversible airway obstruction. Well-characterized symptoms such as exertional dyspnea and fatigue have a negative impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL) and restrict physical activity in daily life. The impact of COPD symptoms on QoL is often underestimated; for example, 36% of patients who describe their symptoms as being mild-to-moderate also admit to being too breathless to leave the house. Additionally, early morning and nighttime symptoms are a particular problem. Methods are available to allow clinicians to accurately assess COPD symptoms, including patient questionnaires. Integrated approaches to COPD management, particularly pulmonary rehabilitation, are effective strategies for addressing symptoms, improving exercise capacity and, potentially, also increasing physical activity. Inhaled bronchodilators continue to be the mainstay of drug therapy in COPD, where options can be tailored to meet patients’ needs with careful selection of the inhaled medication and the device used for its delivery. Overall, an integrated approach to disease management should be considered for improving QoL and subsequent patient outcomes in COPD.
Keywords: COPD, patients, physical actiity levels, pulmonary rehabilitation
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