BEIRUT: Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese adults suffering from a smoking-related lung disease known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are being wrongly treated with asthma medications, a leading respiratory specialist warned on Thursday.
COPD, which causes wheezing, on-going cough and shortness of breath, is normally seen in people over the age of 40 and is strongly linked to smoking of tobacco products, such as cigarettes or shisha. Official figures put the prevalence of COPD in Lebanon at two percent but local experts believe the figure to be higher at 10 to 15 percent, due to the very high instances of smoking in the country, which is among one of the highest in the world.
“Many COPD patients in Lebanon are being treated as if they have asthma and have been prescribed inhaled corticosteroids as a first line treatment,” said Mirna Waked, chest physician at the University Medical Center of St George’s Hospital during a news conference in Beirut. “Corticosteroids are not recommended in international guidelines for long-term use in COPD as they have no effect on the cause of the disease and can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis.”
Because the symptoms of COPD are similar to those seen in asthma, the disease is often mismanaged and many patients are prescribed asthma drugs, that have no affect on the everyday symptoms of COPD and can lead to serious side-effects, Waked warned.
“There needs to be greater awareness among doctors and the general public about COPD; its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment,” said Waked.
“With newer medications coming on the market … it is a good time for medical professionals to review the management of all their respiratory patients, especially those with COPD,” said Waked.
COPD is the combined onset of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which leads to the narrowing of the lungs and a gradual blockage of the airways. Treatment is limited and the disease is often debilitating leading to a severe fall in life expectancy for sufferers. COPD is projected to be the fourth leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. Up to 25 percent of annual deaths in Lebanon are attributed to smoking-related illnesses. – The Daily Star
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