3 million people die every year due to COPD

The General Directorate of Public Health informed that 3 million people die every year due to COPD.

In the information made by the Ministry of Health General Directorate of Public Health, the following statements were given:

“COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a common, preventable and treatable lung disease that develops as a result of airway narrowing caused by long-term damage to lung tissue; characterized by cough, sputum and progressive shortness of breath.

According to large-scale research on the disease, the prevalence of COPD in the world is 10.3 percent and approximately 3 million people die every year due to COPD.

In our country, the “Turkey Household Health Survey: Prevalence of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases” study conducted in 2017, it was determined that 3.6 percent of adults aged 15 years and older have ever been diagnosed with COPD by a doctor. The data for the year 2022 published by TurkStat reveals that respiratory system diseases ranked third among the causes of death with 13.5 percent, and 4 percent of these deaths were due to COPD.

The most important risk factor for the development of COPD worldwide is tobacco use and exposure to all forms of tobacco smoke (cigarettes, hookah, cigars, electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products). Tobacco and tobacco products are the main cause in more than 90 percent of patients. In addition, exposure to fossil fuels such as wood, coal, oil, gas and biomass fuels such as dung, and respiratory irritants such as air pollution are also important risk factors.

COPD can be easily diagnosed with a simple painless “breath measurement test” in healthcare institutions. The diagnosis can be confirmed by using pulmonary function tests to identify obstruction leading to reduced airflow.

It should be emphasized that the only intervention that has been shown to slow the rapid deterioration of lung function in COPD is smoking cessation. The main goals of treating the disease include alleviating symptoms, reducing damage to the airways and improving oxygenation of the lungs.

In this respect, it is very important that the patient is informed about the disease and encouraged to participate in the treatment, to have flu and pneumonia vaccinations to protect against exacerbations and pneumonia that worsen the course of the disease, to adopt an active lifestyle, to be supported to quit tobacco and tobacco products, and to use the medicines called “inhalers”, which have a breathing effect and are applied through the respiratory tract, properly and regularly.

At this point, our Ministry has taken important steps towards the prevention and control of chronic airway diseases by preparing the “Turkey Chronic Airway Diseases Prevention and Control Program” and the “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Evaluation and Monitoring Guidelines” for primary care physicians.

Increasing public awareness is a critical stage in the fight against the disease, which is considered a public health problem due to its prevalence and impact, and “November 15 World COPD Day” serves this mission.

In order to keep your lungs healthy and breathe healthy; we recommend that you do not use tobacco and tobacco products, keep the air clean, eat a regular and balanced diet, exercise regularly, get vaccinations appropriate for your age group, and consult your doctor for your health without delay.”