Fewer medicines needed for COPD
COPD Is Getting Worse? Research has shown that this statement is incorrect. Pulmonologist Frits Franssen talks about these and other developments in the field of lung diseases.
Frits Franssen (43) is a pulmonologist and medical coordinator at CIRO, a center that focuses on specialized treatments for patients with chronic lung diseases. He specializes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary rehabilitation. He works too
at Maastricht UMC+.
Two-thirds of people with COPD remain stable
Frits Franssen: “We have discovered that COPD does not always mean that the disease is becoming increasingly serious. At first, the diagnosis was almost like a death sentence: you continue to deteriorate. Now we know that this decline only occurs in a third of people with COPD. The disease remains stable in the majority of people: their lung function does not deteriorate at an accelerated rate. More good news: we have discovered that a healthy lifestyle – losing weight and exercising – can also slow down the decline in lung function.”
Benefit for the patient: COPD no longer means that you are getting sicker.
More and more is known about the link between asthma and COPD
Frits Franssen: “We are getting more and more indications that COPD develops much earlier than we thought. Those who already had asthma as a child have a four times higher risk of COPD. We can respond to that in the treatment. For example, by treating children with asthma more intensively with medication. And of course by insisting even more that they should not start smoking. At the same time, we discover that COPD patients too often get puffs with anti-inflammatories, while these are not useful if someone hardly ever has lung attacks. We can stop these medicines quite often, because they cause all kinds of side effects, such as a greater chance of pneumonia, bruising and fungal infections in the mouth or throat.”
Advantage for the patient: new knowledge of lung diseases ensures a better coordinated treatment of the complaints.
Easier breathing in severe COPD
Frits Franssen: “There are more and more new techniques for the treatment of severe COPD. Because the exhalation does not go well, residual air remains in the lungs. People inflate themselves, as it were, and become short of breath as a result. At the UMCG in Groningen there was already a breakthrough with valves that can be placed in the airways through a relatively minor procedure. Now there are also treatments with home ventilation, which means that people with severe COPD need less hospitalization and live longer.”
Benefit for the patient: improving quality of life and life expectancy in severe COPD.
Tip from Frits Franssen
“Smoking cessation is most important when you have COPD. But also make sure to exercise as much as possible. And: watch your weight. People with COPD are often either too skinny or overweight. Walking the golden mean is the best for your health.”
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
