Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease On The Rise Across United States; Increasing Incidence Will Mean Greater Reliance On Home Oxygen Therapy

Main Category: COPD
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Public Health
Article Date: 18 May 2007 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) -- a respiratory condition that obstructs airflow to the lungs and interferes with the ability to breathe properly -- is on the rise nationwide, and will soon become the third leading cause of U.S. deaths. According to the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC), cost-effective home oxygen therapy will be crucial in coming years for helping patients maintain independence and quality of life.

Currently, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, affecting more than 11 million Americans, and claiming 120,000 lives in the year 2002 alone. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), COPD mortality has continued to rise over the past 30 years, while all other major causes of death have decreased. The NHLBI estimates on top of the 11 million people diagnosed with COPD, an additional 12 million likely have COPD and don't even know it.

Largely attributable to the long-term health effects on aging Americans from a bygone era of alluring cigarette marketing, COPD is estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system more than $800 billion over the next 20 years, according to the American Thoracic Society. Incidence of COPD, generally characterized by chronic bronchitis and emphysema, can also be attributed to pre-existing lung disease, exposure to air pollutants and heredity.

"Clearly, COPD is a national health crisis that will only gain momentum in the years to come," said Peter Kelly, Chairman of the CQRC, a coalition of the nation's leading providers and manufacturers of home oxygen therapy and related equipment. "It's important that healthcare providers do what we can now to prepare for the next generation of patients."

According to the CQRC, the average COPD patient is approximately 73 years old, female, lives alone, and has physical limitations that prevent her from driving. While there are no existing medications that have proven beneficial in reversing the effects of COPD, home oxygen therapy -- when properly prescribed and used -- can slow or stop lung degeneration. A recent federal government study highlights published clinical studies showing that long-term oxygen therapy reduces the frequency of hospitalization and the number of hospital days. Today, approximately one million Medicare patients depend on the Medicare oxygen benefit for their long-term survival, and for quality of care and quality of life in the home environment.

The CQRC maintains that home oxygen therapy is the most cost-effective and clinically effective treatment for COPD patients, and others with diseases of the lung. Home oxygen therapy costs the Medicare program $7.62 per day vs. as much as $4,600 per day in the hospital. In 2002, there were 673,000 hospitalizations for COPD with an average length of stay of 5.2 days.

Florida leads the nation in the number of Medicare beneficiaries who rely on home oxygen therapy; approximately 125,000 of that state's residents receive help for lung ailments. Texas and California also have notable populations of home oxygen users, with 110,000 and 88,000 users respectively.

The Council for Quality Respiratory Care is a group of the nation's leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturers, representing a majority of the more than one million Medicare patients who depend on the home oxygen benefit for their care in order to live in an independent environment. CQRC members include Air Products, AirSep Corporation, American HomePatient, Apria Healthcare, Invacare, Lincare, Pacific Pulmonary Services, Praxair, Inc., Respironics, Inc., Rotech Healthcare Inc. and Sunrise Medical, Inc.

Council for Quality Respiratory Care
Council for Quality Respiratory Care

• Additional
• References
• Citations