WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The COPD Foundation and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) will host “COPD Week at the ATS” to bring awareness to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), November 13-19, 2011. Characterized by increased breathlessness, COPD describes progressive lung diseases, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory asthma and severe bronchiectasis. COPD became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2011—twelve years earlier than experts predicted.
“Support from the ATS strengthens our mission to alert the public to COPD’s long-term impact on individuals with COPD—a disease that kill more people each year than breast cancer and diabetes combined,” says John W. Walsh, President and Co-Founder of the COPD Foundation. “In the U.S., 12-14 million individuals are symptomatic, but remain undiagnosed. This COPD Week will help spread awareness, including the five-question Population Screener which helps people find out if they are at risk for COPD.”
As part of COPD Week, Walsh and COPD Foundation Board Chair Dr. Byron Thomashow will host a webinar titled, “COPD: What’s Ahead” on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011 at 12:00PM EST. To reserve space go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/943119209
Many people mistake their increased breathlessness and coughing as a normal part of aging. Causes for COPD include:
- Smoking
- Environmental exposure
- Chemicals, dusts, fumes
- Secondhand smoke, pollutants
- Genetic factor
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency
"Every four minutes someone dies of COPD,” Walsh adds. “With the advocacy and education efforts being made by the physicians and scientists at the ATS, we are able to address the issues related to COPD as a unified front and make greater strides in research and treatment.”
About COPD Foundation
The mission of the COPD Foundation is to develop and support programs, which improve the quality of life through research, education, early diagnosis, and enhanced therapy for persons whose lives are impacted by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD Foundation is a Partnering Organization of DRIVE4COPD, a landmark public health initiative embraced by leading health, business, music, art, and sports organizations with a goal of driving fundamental change in COPD awareness.
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